


Slipping

by Emono



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Bonding, Cinematic Love Story, Drug Induced Multiple Personas, Experimentation, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mildly Dubious Consent, Sexual Experimentation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-22
Updated: 2016-03-27
Packaged: 2018-04-16 13:21:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 25,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4626783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emono/pseuds/Emono
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryan Haywood - genius, CEO of Monarch Labs, Alpha, respected in his field. But he's not quite all he appears. A king and a scientist loom under his handsome face and the cracks are starting to show. He starts slipping the moment he sets his gaze on X-Ray. Ryan and the MAD Scientist fall hard for the little Omega hero during experimentation, but Mad King? His gaze trails elsewhere to a fellow villain with the power to manipulate and amplify kinetic energy - an old beau of Vav's. </p><p>What this young ex-soldier doesn't know is that every rung of the ladder he climbs gets him ever closer to the gilded cage the Mad King has prepared for him. He may be growing into his powers and his status, he may come off cold and ruthless, but he has a weakness in the form of a wild man in the forest outside town. Mogar.</p><p>Whether Ryan knows it or not, these people are all pieces in the chess game he has started that will either destroy the city in a heavy fog of biowarfare, or save it from the brink of oblivion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [I'd Like It Better If I Could Win At It](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1757769) by [Emono](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emono/pseuds/Emono). 



_ 'text' **=** _ ** not Ryan's thoughts, but the thoughts of either MAD Scientist or Mad King, who we will come to know as Ryan's other "personalities".  **

** Also, just like "And Life Is Wine" is a royal/Minecraft fantasy world in Ray's mind, this story is a fantasy universe that lives in the minds of Ryan and Ray in my big fic "I'd Like It Better...". So you will see reflected themes from that fic in this one. **

 

* * *

 

 

_ My thoughts are strangely quiet today. No extra voices...how refreshing. _

  
  


The windows of Haywood’s office were floor to ceiling. They could be tinted but they were set to clear so he could see the sweep of the city. He’d turned away from his desk and the room to properly look out, reclining heavy in the leather. He chewed at his thumbnail and lips, a compulsive habit he’d never managed to break over the years. Here, shut away without the security cameras on, he didn’t have to put up a front. His stomach was lined with nerves and he didn’t want his associates to see it. 

  
  


Or Copirate’s lackeys. 

  
  


Copirate was chomping on the damn bit to take over the city but Ryan wasn’t content with just seizing it, he wanted to force it to his knees. Thankfully Copirate felt the same or he wouldn’t have had near this much patience. For months he’d been fighting the man off, biding his time, convincing him to be patient. He felt like Mrs. Lovette with as much sweet talking he’d done to keep the man pacified. He had a master plan in mind and he wasn’t going to let the Copirate’s greed get in the way of seeing it bloom to fruition. 

  
  


His story wasn’t much different from other early-presenting Alphas but he wasn’t average by far. Soaring above his classmates in every grade, surpassing even his professors, getting bored halfway between both a medical and law degree and ending up with only a strange handful of bachelors to show for all his years in college. The only major degrees he ever managed to complete was bio-engineering and robotics. He would always be an academic, a scientist, and he never stopped learning and gaining a cornucopia of skills that had given him the success he had today. 

  
  


Ryan had presented at fourteen, obscenely earlier than the usual twenty one. He’d popped a full knot after a heavy three days of fever and vomit and it had looked obscenely bulbous with everything else being so adolescent. It was horrifying to see such a grossly sized swell at the base of his limp cock. His body had been beyond confused, gushing testosterone and Alpha hormones while the rest of him remained soft, undefined. The bullying had started barely an hour after his first day back. He had all the scent markers of a strong, virile Alpha but all the looks of a tender Omega. Pale, blonde, big blue eyes - the teasing had been merciless. The mocking wolf whistles from other Alphas, the snubs from Omegas, and the Betas all but ignored him to keep out of the way of “knot hijinks”. He didn’t have the muscle, the height, the demeanor - and they didn’t let him forget it.

  
  


Ryan couldn’t count how many nights he’d stayed up hunched over biology textbooks and scribbled half baked theories onto scratch paper trying to figure out why he wasn’t “Alpha” enough. Going into his first year of college, he’d convinced himself he’d falsely presented and that his classmates had been right. He’d played Omega and he’d been damn good at it too, making even the most prideful knotheads turn into panting, whining messes. It was something he’d prided himself on until the day he’d woken up with a nameless Alpha’s attempt at a mating bite on his throat. He’d almost beat the man to death before kicking him out of his dorm and vowing  _ never  _ again. He’d transferred after that, and with the help of some neutralizers he’d resolved himself to just playing Beta for the rest of his days.

  
  


Then puberty had truly hit him. Ryan’s body caught up with his knot and he started to bulk up, layering on muscle naturally and then amplifying it with the campus gym. He’d gained five inches of height over just one summer and had grown had thick pelt of chest hair, feeling more “manly” than he ever had before. Almost a year later after that Alpha’s clumsy attempt at claiming him, Ryan had looked in the mirror and seen “Alpha” for the first time. His peers and professors took him more seriously and suddenly he had Omegas leaving gifts at his dorm door and waiting with lunches for him in the food court. 

  
  


He’d become everything his adolescent dreams had dared to conjure up, but the damage had already been done. 

  
  


Ryan found himself with a growing streak of superiority. He found glee in showing off his intellect, proving his prowess by making himself off to be better than others. Especially Alphas. Getting hired at a little start up company when it was nothing more than software repair and an office had given him the platform he truly needed. He build Monarch Labs from the ground up, hand picking the most talented people he could find and working diligently to get his hands on the best technology available. 

  
  


Once, he’d been a beggar, spending sleepless nights writing essays for grants that were but pennies on the dollar and endlessly calling superior companies for spare parts or outdated tech. He and his people could change the proverbial straw into gold but they needed material to work with, and he’d never forget the smug faces of his competitors as they threw him literal scraps. Now  _ he  _ was the one young scientists came to trying to cut their teeth, to find even a hint of meat to fuel their ambition. 

  
  


Ryan dragged his thumb along his bottom teeth, brow furrowing up. One of those scientists in particular had impressed him. Hilda - smart, beautiful, witty, and  _ razor sharp _ . A worthy coworker, maybe even worthy enough to be his protegee if she kept proving herself. He found it funny how she thought she could make a single move in this building that he didn’t know about, a project he didn’t personally allow her to work on. There were no secrets in Monarch Labs, not from its CEO at least. (‘ _ It’s king…’ _ ) Those two young fools had suits and gloves and special specs because  _ he  _ allowed it.

  
  


They...amused him.

  
  


Two would-be superheros, starting out in towels and paper signs and now trying to make a name for themselves. They were eclectic, quirky even, and were quite a comedy to observe from his security cameras. Of course he’d hired several credible detectives the moment Hilda had given them access to her lab and he considered eliminating them and firing her right off the bat, but their dynamic was intriguing. So instead of having to worry about getting blood out of the microfiber in those suits, he had two files splayed out on his desk along with half a dozen photos of each hero. He knew their real names, ages, families, where they lived,  _ everything _ . The poor boys were practically living in squalor, scraping by with mediocre minimum wage jobs and doing small “hero” tasks for whatever the good people could pay. It would’ve been pathetic if Ryan hadn’t found it so damn endearing.

  
  


The cherry on top? They were both Omegas.  _ Perfect _ . Just one will do.

  
The Master Plan had been in development since he left college for the last time. It had started out as just a dream of revenge but had escalated into a grand plume of bio-warfare. Not exactly a sea of bodies and boiling blood and pox, but those of all status groveling at his feet for mercy and  _ knowing  _ his intellect, his power. That he was an Alpha worthy of anyone. He wanted to throw open the doors to his stockroom and see walls full of wonderful weaponry that could bring cities to their knees. It wasn’t that he wanted to apply the results of the plan, but he wanted to see if he  _ could _ . He wanted to know he could do it, to go through with the experiments and see results first hand.

  
  


’ _I want to see what happens in a true, controlled experiment.’_

  
  


Ryan frowned more deeply before nipping at his own thumb. It was too early to be that greedy. He had to take his time. One misstep could ruin it all. He’s spent the past few months meticulously building a special lab (off the building schematics, of course) for a semi-long-term omega experimentation process. He needed a ripe test subject, maybe one freshly presented. One who hadn’t had a large exposure to Alphas yet.

  
  


As perverse as it came off, a virgin would be ideal. He hated himself for even thinking the word but fresh, untrained reactions would be best. He needed Omega hormones, sweat, vitals, blood, maybe even marrow - any fluid that could be extracted. The few years of medical training he had would be put to good use. 

  
  


Copirate was riding his ass to get on with the experimentation, to tell him what his “master plan” was to subdue the city. But Ryan wouldn’t give anything away until he was damn good and ready. The first step was the most important and could not be rushed. He had to choose the perfect subject, the one who would start it all. He needed the perfect Omega or the whole plan would fall apart. 

  
  


Ryan turned back around and cast his eyes over the scattered files. He eyed both the Omega boys, in and out of costume, but his gaze kept straying back to a crooked smile and dark hair. He lingered on X-Ray, young Ray Narvaez Jr., but promised himself he wouldn’t make any choices until he had run all the proper tests. 

  
  


_ Patience is important. It’s what separates us from the beasts. _

  
  
  


 


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray’s chest swelled and on the exhale there was one word. “Pun.”
> 
> Ryan frowned sharply. “What?”
> 
> “Your stupid name. It’s not a joke, it’s a play on words. At best.”

**Here's where you can see[all the EDGARS](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/127505577976/enormous-dangerous-gravity-defying-air-based)**

* * *

 

 

The phone rang and Gavin scrambled over the back of the couch, landing face first into the carpet with a squawk before managing to get back on his feet. Ray’s fingers flew over the Xbox controller and he laughed as he heard more clattering behind him.

 

“Such a spazz,” Ray muttered fondly before shouting out. “Tell him we’re not home, I’m in the middle of a match!”

 

“X-Ray and Vav hotline!” Gavin chirped when he answered, flicking two fingers at his best friend. “If it troubles you, it troubles us. Vav here.” There was a long stretch of silence and it caught Ray’s attention. “He calls himself what?”

 

Ray opted out of the match and turned around on the couch, frowning at his best friend.

 

“ ‘MAD Scientist’? That’s somehow odd and common,” Gavin remarked before perking up. “We’ll be right there, Mr. Mayor! Just leave it to X-Ray and Vav! Also, it’s right down the street. Be there in ten.”

 

Gavin hung up and beamed at the other. “The Mayor has some good tips that a villain calling himself ‘MAD Scientist’ is going to break into the city’s Botanical Museum.”

 

Ray started to get up but paused. “And he isn’t sending the police because?”

 

Gavin shrugged a little. “There’s a big to-do at a couple banks and he’s not sure these tips will check out. He says a couple heros should be able to take care of poisonous plants.”

 

“...fair. Suit up!”

 

o0o

 

The superhero duo arrived on the scene with a flourish but there was no one there. Not a security guard, a badge, or a citizen in sight. The two dropped their heroic stances and looked around curiously, shrugging and deciding to just try and head in the museum. The doors weren’t locked but they were too busy arguing to listen to the alarm bells.

 

“You didn’t ask him if we could have a spare key or something?”

 

“Maybe we should wait outside, X-Ray. Guard the door and whatnot.”

 

“Don’t be a pussy, Vav.”

 

“Oi, _language_.”

 

The museum was broken up into several parts. An atrium, nature art, a butterfly farm, flower displays, and a semi-famous “Poisonous Plants From Around The Word” exhibit that apparently this weird new villain wanted to jack.

 

“Alright.” X-Ray dragged the doors to the exhibit room shut and shot a grin at his partner. “There’s _zero_ way anyone is getting in here without us knowing. Half the room is glass, we’ll totally see him coming.”

 

“Or her,” Vav corrected.

 

“Oh please, like any self-respecting girl villain would have a lame ass name like that,” X-Ray scoffed. “That’s a dumb dude name and you know it.”

 

They agreed to split up and cover the aisles, scan underneath with the flashlights they’d taken out of their endless-pocket overundies. They didn’t dare turn on the lights so they tried to chase away the shadows, expecting to some find some nerd in a labcoat cowering under a dirt pot but there was nothing.

 

“What the hell?” X-Ray scratched at his scalp, frowning at the empty room. “So this guys was supposed to show up already or what?”

 

Vav made a face before cracking a smile. “You wanna’ pose heroically in front of the door and wait to Slo-Mo his arse?”

 

X-Ray briefly took off his specs and rubbed the back of his hand over his suddenly itchy eyes. “If ‘heroic’, you mean that dumb head thing you do where you can basically see all up in that huge nose of yours, then no thanks.”

 

Vav blinked a few times at the closed doors, trying to register exactly what his partner had said. “Um, that’s...oi, shut up. It’s not dumb, it’s strong-looking. They do it all the time in comics.”

 

“Nerd,” Ray yawned, stuttering on the word. The edges of his vision were fuzzier than normal, even when he put back on the frames. “Shit, is it steaming up in here or something?”

 

Vav wobbled dangerously before dropping to one knee. “X-Ray, something’s wrong. I’m all foggy. It’s hard to...oh bollocks.” He dropped forward, bracing himself on his hands with a loud _slap_. X-Ray stepped forward to help him but his own knee gave out, both legs collapsing under his own weight. The tile stung even through his suit but it was dull, barely registering through the sudden wash of blur.

 

X-Ray shoved a hand into his overundies and groped around blindly until he wrapped his fingers around a square device. He yanked it out and fumble to turn it on but his eyelids were heavy and each blink felt like his last. As the screen blinked to life, his head tipped back and his elbow finally gave. He flopped onto his back, groaning in defeat as he gave into the sleepy haze. The device clattered across the tile, laying between the two limp forms. As Vav’s shoulders finally slumped, the device started to beep sharply.

 

The screen flashed red with the warning ‘ **Toxin Detected** ’scrawled across it in bold letters.  

 

The room was filled with the quiet sounds of heros snoring for a few more minutes before the misters for the plants abruptly turned off. Powerful fans kicked on in the air ducts and whirred so hard through the room the leaves shook on the plants. X-Ray’s abandoned device flicked green and made a little animated happy face right before the fans stopped.

 

One of the doors cracked open and the room was the sound of soft _bloops_ as something hovered in. They was a smooth, shining droid the resembled a tiny cow in some ways with their pristine, ivory shell and splots of black. Flat, curled little ears twitched all around, sensors whirring as they scanned the room. A fluid, electronic tail swished around happily as it zoomed into the room and over to the heros. Their small “snout” sucked in the air and the screen above it that showed the display of their eyes blinked into a scroll of data before flashing green. Though they hovered a few feet of the ground, the round plates that were  “legs” wiggled in what seemed like excitement.

 

“All clear, Master!”

 

The doors opened up and a figure waltzed in, plain clothes with shades. Hands were shoved deep in the pockets of his denim jacket, one coming out to push his shades up into the swoop of blonde bangs. Bright blue eyes scanned the scene and a pleased grin curled his mouth.

 

“Excellent,” Ryan rumbled. His other hand slipped out of his pocket to reveal the remote he’d used to control the utilities. He’d already disabled the security cameras and had little to fear, at least for the next ten minutes. The guards were sleeping soundly too, though they had been dragged into a different room to keep out of sight. “Go keep look out, EDGAR.”

 

“Yes sir!” the droid chirped before zooming away, getting a fond look from the man.

 

“You two didn’t really think this through, did you?” Ryan walked over to Vav and eased down to one knee, taking a plastic box out from inside his coat. He sat it on the floor and flipped open the lid, taking out a specialized scalpel first to cut through the strong micofiber suits. A small incision was made at the crook of the Brit’s elbow and he laid his arm out flat. He had two thick syringes to assemble, ready to take the samples he needed. Gloves were snapped over his hands before he started tearing open the sterile packaging. “Unlocked doors to a city’s museum, no guards, anonymous tips to an unknown villain...I’m a little disappointed. But your eagerness makes up for it.”

 

Ryan put together the syringe and tied a tourniquet around Vav’s arm. The boy didn’t even stir. He slipped the needle into a thick vein and slowly extracted a full blood sample. He’d chosen larger tubes than normal to make sure he would have all he needed to run a battery of tests. Disease panels, DNA, and he’d need to put both samples against the sedatives he preferred to use. There were a lot of variables he needed to consider and he wouldn’t rush picking his perfect Omega.

 

Once full, he took the needle out and capped Vav’s tube, putting it back in the box. He got up and walked over to X-Ray, dropping to his knees and starting the process once more. Ryan had just snapped on the gloves when the Omega before him started to stir, making him freeze. He wasn’t scared of the superhero, he was sure he could overpower him, but he’d made this sleeping gas himself. X-Ray shouldn’t have been moving for hours yet and here he was struggling to sit up. It didn’t take long to realize the boy was still under, eyes closed and mouth lax even as he pawed around like he was looking for something.

 

 _‘Interesting.’_ He reached for the boy and brushed his knuckles across his arm. X-Ray let out an Omegan chitter and scooted closer, sloppily crawling onto the Alpha and fitting himself against his chest. _‘Sentient reactions even while asleep. Seems to have a natural burrowing instinct in response to an Alpha’s scent. This is a semi-rare case’_

 

Ryan knew his Alpha scent was covered up with neutralizers but the Omega was insistent, nosing slowly at his throat while gloved fingers kneaded at his chest. More sweet chitters escaped the hero’s lips and Ryan found himself wanting to answer them with Alpha rumbles. He was a handsome young man, he admitted that much, but that didn’t mean he was the _one_. He needed to take a blood sample, he couldn’t let himself act on whims.

 

“Come now, Omega, be good.” Ryan firmly moved the boy away to lay down and he was surprised when his touch was obeyed. X-Ray relaxed against the floor and when his arm was moved there was no protesting movement. The only different was that the hero was breathing deeper now like he was trying to catch more of his scent. It was an interesting development, one Ryan hadn’t foreseen. _Sometimes surprises are enjoyable._

 

_‘Variables make it a true experiment. What’s science without variables to manipulate?’_

 

“Hold still, X-Ray. This won’t take a moment.”

 

o0o0o0o

 

“So...you two just woke up in the museum?” Hilda drawled, Vav’s suit stretched between her hands as she examined the hole that had been left along the arm. “Did you at least bring a sample of the plants? If the device detected a toxin, I could examine the leaves to see if they’d absorbed any of it.”

 

Ray crossed his arms over his chest and gave a defensive huff. “Like we were going to stick around there after getting knocked out by some crazy scientist.”

 

“MAD Scientist,” Gavin corrected. “It stands for something or other. Also, when we woke up, the guards and police were everywhere and the curator of the museum didn’t want us doing anymore damage. Apparently that cheeky bastard took some of the poisonous plants after taking us out.”

 

“I could ask nicely, I guess,” Hilda mused as she looked closely at the tear in the fibers.

 

“We can do it,” Gavin promised. “We’ll find this dastardly scientist. We won’t let him give you brainy types a bad name.”

 

She raised a brow at him. “Thanks?”

 

His grin was cheery. “No problem!”

 

“I’m kind of worried about what kind of access this MAD Scientist has.” Hilda poked her fingers through the tear to make a point. “This stuff doesn’t rip easy. He had to have had a specialized tool on him of some kind. This stuff can stop bullets. Maybe razor edged steel, possibly a diamond blend...though I don’t know why these are the only cuts. Were you guys injured at all?”  
  
“It was a little red, but nothing much,” Ray replied, hesitating. “Real talk - we were seriously loopy when we woke up and we kind of just got home as fast as we could?”

  
“And then promptly passed out for about a day,” Gavin continued. “We woke up at one point and ordered a pizza but I don’t remember much.”

 

“I _should_ take a blood sample,” Hilda hummed. “But it’s been more than twenty four hours and I’m sure you’ve had a lot to drink, so I don’t want to have to pin you guys down for nothing. Next time you know what to do - don’t barge in headfirst to a potential crime scene without taking proper precautions.”

 

“If you gave us better weapons…” Ray prompted.

 

“You losers would blow yourselves _and_ the city up,” Hilda snapped, though there was a flicker of an idea. “I do have a few more possibly-dangerous-Megacancer-inducing devices that you two could test out.” She looked at the X-Ray suit, frowning as ORF scanned it for irregularities and other damage. “Give me a night to repair these and for weapons...about a week, okay? Maybe they’ll give you a little more power.”

 

Gavin swallowed nervously. “Or maybe they’ll get us killed.”

 

“It’s fifity-fifty.” Hilda shot them a grin. “Okay, eighty-twenty.”

 

“Miss. Hilda!”

 

“Hey, that’s the risk you take as a superhero. Now get outta’ here before my boss comes by.”

 

o0o0o0o

 

“Purse-snatcher!” Vav bellowed, the duo pounding pavement as they bounded after the thief. They’d been on their way to Monarch Labs when they’d seen a guy steal an old woman’s purse right in broad daylight. (Well, late evening, the sun was starting to disappear behind the skyscrapers). The man was fit and fast but they were keeping up.

 

“Vav, you keep on him, I’m going to cut him off.”

 

Vav shot him a salute and the younger took a hard right into an alley. A half-assed plan of coming out the other side of the block and shooting the guy with a low level blast formed but mostly he just ran as hard as he could, wanting to close the distance at least. It was getting dark fast and he didn’t like taking the bus at night but it looked like they’d have little choice. He hoped Hilda would drive them home, and if they caught this guy it would be a legitimate reason for being late.

 

“Ah! Shit!” X-Ray skipped a step and slowed down, hopping awkwardly and picking up his foot. It felt like something had bitten him and he rubbed at his calf, hissing His fingers bumped against something and he grabbed at it, hissing at the sting it caused. He thought maybe, somehow, it was a shard of glass or something but his jaw dropped when he saw it was a dart. Simple, stream-lined, and with an empty, clear body. A clear drop was still clinging to the needle and then he felt it. Wooziness hit him in a hard wave, almost like exhaustion but more potent. His lashes fluttered wildly and he took a few uneasy steps so he could brace his shoulder on the side of a building. It was like back at the museum but worse. This time he knew what was happening.

 

X-Ray slid down the wall with a low moan of protest, eyes darting around sluggishly to look for his attacker. There was no one he could see but there had to be _someone_. He reached for his overundies to get his phone but his fingers were already numb. _Fuck, fuck, no. Vav, God damn it, now would be a great time to become psychic._  

 

He grinned to himself as he finally hit the ground. _Weak joke is weak. Balls._

 

o0o

 

Ryan threw open the display case in his office and admired the outfit there. Creating it had felt so _right_ in a way he couldn’t really explain. The droids had the hero and was strapping him down in the lab, though he would do all the prep and experiments himself. He would control every aspect of this project now that he had his first real chance of a perfect Omega. X-Ray was the closest he’d come and he was excited to get started. There was still a chance it wouldn’t work out, but he was just ready to get started.

 

Ryan stripped down to his boxers and undershirt before pulling out his outfit one piece at a time. Instead of going for the stark white, his pants and lab coat were a dark red. Boots, gloves, and belt all a shining black. He’d had it tailored exactly to his form and everything fit perfectly, snug to his form for comfort and for the vanity of showing off his hard-earned form. With every part he tugged on he felt more like he could do this, more like a scientist. More detached. He felt like he was sliding into the right headspace.

 

The last of it was a pair of thick, dark goggles. They had caps at the end that could be flipped up to show off a clear, reinforced shield. But with the caps on, it obscured most of his face. He liked it that way.

 

A heavy spritz of neuralizer on his pulse points and he was ready.

 

_‘I will uncover all the secrets this Omega has hidden away, and find if he has the perfect core.’_

 

Ryan walked to the elevator and hit the button, the bottom floor being his lab. _And if he’s not..._

 

_‘Then he will be terminated.’_

 

o0o

 

Ray came to in pulses of consciousness. Sound first - the soft hum of a ventilation system, a whirr of machinery, a faint buzz of lights. His first thought (as fuzzy as they were) was that he was in a hospital. He tried to sit up but he couldn’t, something was holding him down. Several somethings. He blinked a few times and panic struck his system when he realized he didn’t have his glasses on. _My specs._ He blinked a few times and his vision cleared, but only a little. He was somewhere blindingly white that smelled almost minty. There were splashes of silver, chrome, and it all looked so damn clean. He strained to sit up but this time he could see what was pinning him. Clear, broad straps laid tight over him in stripes like cellophane.

 

Ray flexed his arms and he could see himself straining against the translucent material, but that let his gaze fell to his right arm. The suit had been cut like before at the crook of his elbow but this time there was a butterfly needle there, blue tape over it, tube peeking out. He frowned and followed it up, gaping dumbly at the sight of the figure there. It was a tall, broad-shouldered man with dark scientist get-up that actually struck fear in his chest. Thick, tinted goggles hid the man’s face but not the firm line of his mouth.

 

But what really scared the hero was that the man’s gloved hands were injecting something into the IV that was attached so carefully to his arm.

 

“Wait,” Ray protested weakly. “Wha’ the fuck are you…?” He watched the yellowish liquid push down the tube and into his arm. “No, no, wait, you don’t have to. Man, please, _fuck_.”

 

He slammed his head into the stretcher and groaned. This sleepy feeling was different. It came more slow and soft, laying over him like a blanket instead of crashing into him. Ray was afraid he’d fall asleep but he didn’t. He went numb, starting at his fingers and toes and seeping up. He heaved as his heart slowed down and his stomach churned but all ache faded. It was just a low, almost-pleasant buzz.

 

“The mouth on you, X-Ray.” The man tisked. “You’re a hero. Show some class.”

 

Ray’s mouth felt like it was full of cotton but he managed to speak. “Who are you?”

 

 _‘Why not? He’ll be terminated if this doesn’t work out anyway.’_ That thought didn’t sit right in his gut but he didn’t disagree. This hero was disposable.

 

“You can call me MAD if you like.” The literature joke made his lips twitch up but it wasn’t a full smile.

 

“MAD Scientist,” Ray breathed out, lashes falling low as his eyes threatened to stick shut. It was like when he stayed up all night playing games but with a heavy dose of fear.

 

“A little joke of mine.” The words came out more deadpan. It seemed like he couldn’t pull off smug villain tonight. “Medicinal Andro Diagnostics Scientist, if you please.” He took a corded clip off the tray beside him and clamped it to the hero’s finger. The heart monitor flashed to life and picked up on X-Ray’s rhythm. “I specialize in diagnosis, I always have. My observational skills are quite adept. I like studying the reactions of those of different status within scientific tests and hypothesize outcomes. Sort of a...brain puzzler, keeps me on my toes. I particularly enjoy the focus on status - hormones, you see. Endorphins, pheromones, oxytocin. Call me a romantic.”

 

Ray’s chest swelled and on the exhale there was one word. “Pun.”

 

Ryan frowned sharply. “What?”

 

“Your stupid name. It’s not a joke, it’s a play on words. At best.”

 

The mask fell in place, ‘Ryan’ retreating to the background as MAD fell in place like the outfit he’d so casually slipped on. He grabbed the handle of the standing tray and moved it around to stand beside him where the hero could see. Ray stared wide-eyed at the arrange of needles, scalpels, and test tubes. The heart rate monitor started to beep dangerously as Ray thrashed as best he could, testing the unyielding bonds.

 

MAD tisked loudly in disappointment and tapped a covered finger against the screen. “No. This won’t do. I have a lot of collections to do.”

 

“Fuck you, man,” Ray growled pathetically, suit squeaking in places as he strained to get free. With the sedative in his veins it didn’t take long for him to wear himself out. “I’m not going without a fight, asshole. This isn’t how it ends for me.”

 

“Stop complaining. This is just the beginning. I have a lot in store for you, X-Ray.”

 

The words made Ray push harder against the restraints, sweat beading along his hairline and teeth grit painfully tight. There was no give, no results. He slumped and panted against the gurney, trying to think of a plan. He couldn’t move his hands to get to his overundies but even then he probably wouldn’t be allowed to dig around much before he was stopped. “

 

MAD carefully watched the heart rate monitor before letting out a long, exasperated breath. “If it’ll make you more cooperative, I’ll give you the rules. Because your cooperation is very important for this.”

 

“First of all,” Ray rasped, throat scratched up and raw from all the drugs in his system drying him out. “I’m _not_ cooperating. But...I’ll listen.” He made a show of not moving, clinging onto this shred of hope. He would do pretty much anything to get out of this situation alive and the man knew it.

 

“I will not kill you.” The crisp, clinical tone made Ray’s stomach bottom out. “I will not hurt you past your limits. I will always let you go in the end, and I will not keep you for more than three days at a time.”

 

“Jesus,” Ray hissed through his teeth. “You think this is going to happen again? Are you planning this shit?”

 

“Do you want to hear the rest or should I just start?”

 

Ray snapped his mouth shut and swallowed thickly, glancing at the scalpel on the pristine tray. He thought of all the things that instrument could slice off and decided to just play it a little quiet to see if he could find an opening to escape.

 

“Good. Now, what I will do...I will take everything from you.” The man’s voice pitched low and Ray swallowed a submissive chitter. He could almost see the scientist’s gaze burning into him from behind those goggles. “Every drop of sweat and slick you make here is mine and believe me, I will bottle it all. I will wring every last bit of data I can from this...shapely form.” Gloved fingers drummed on the widest clear strap across the hero’s chest. He could feel the vibration in his ribs and it made him shiver. “And you will cooperate, because you are a good boy, aren’t you?”

 

Ray’s very bones seemed to quiver and he could hear his own strangled whimper like a gunshot. Though there was some terror in his heart, his rebellious flame was still alive. Though he couldn’t really smell anything besides a hint, MAD was an Alpha and Ray had prided himself on not giving into knotheads and their demands. He’d only presented a year ago, but even before then he’d been treated as Omega just because of his side and slight build. Lifting some weights and doing some pushups and situps at home had toned him up a little, helped his endurance, but he still looked his presented status.

 

“I’m not anyone’s…”

 

A covered thumb rubbed across his forehead in a faux-sweet way that made Ray’s instincts kick in. He slumped onto the gurney and took what he could from the touch. There was little else he could do. He let his eyes fall closed in a moment of weakness and missed the full syringe MAD picked up off the tray.

 

“I’m going to take a lot of samples. It’s best you’re asleep for it.”

 

“What?” Ray’s eyes popped open in time to see the syringe stick into the IV and _plunge_. “Motherfucker…”

 

“Language.”

 

The Omega tried to curse more but this sedative was more powerful, folding him under into a dreamless sleep.

 

There was a low hum from below the gurney and MAD looked down at the helper bot, brows furrowing curiously. “What is it?”

 

“X-Ray estimated to awake in - _five_ hours,” EDGAR informed him. “Street cameras monitored. Hilda and Vav looking for X-Ray. Send text from his telephone number?”

 

MAD finally cracked a real smile. “Thank you, EDGAR. Yes, do that, try to mimic his mannerisms. Keep me updated.”

 

“Yes, Master,” Edgar chirped, little _blooping_ sounds trailing after him as he hovered out of the room.

 

_‘Now. To gather data.’_

 

o0o0o0o

 

“Fuck,” Ray coughed, blinking into consciousness so fast it ached. His mouth tasted like ass and his arms were sore, stomach empty and growling now that he was awake. He got up on his elbows with a groan and found some relief when he felt his specs back in place. When he pried his eyes open it was all grey and he realized that gross taste in his mouth was probably gravel dust. He pushed himself up onto his knees and blinked.

 

At first he thought it was just a random alley, that maybe he’d knocked himself out and had been stuck in a strange dream near Monarch Labs, but he knew this alley. He cut through it on the way to his shitty stocking job at the Bag-N-Go. He hefted himself to his feet, looked over, and saw his apartment building. He wobbled a little and realized he was in a long, black trenchcoat that hid most of his uniform. It smelled a little old but clean and fit him terribly, doing more covering than anything.

 

Still in a bit of a haze, Ray stumbled over to the building and up the flights of stairs. He had his keys and phone in his overundies, thankfully, but he barely got the key in the lock before the door swung open. Gavin was standing there, toothbrush hanging between his lips with white suds all around his mouth like he’d been yelling as he ran to the door. From the ruckus that had gone on behind it, he wasn’t surprised.

 

“Bloody hell,” Gavin squawked around the toothbrush, grabbing him by the lapels and dragging him inside. Ray let himself be manhandled over to the couch, slumping into it as he heard the door getting latched and a swish of water. When the Brit bounced in he plopped down on the couch beside him, hands fluttering like they wanted to grab at him. “I was so worried! You said you were fed-up but I didn’t think it would take until one AM!”

 

Ray blinked slowly at him. “I...what?”

 

“Your text,” Gavin insisted, snatching his phone off the table to bring it up. “ ‘Fuck this guy. Ripped my suit, parkour is bullshit.  I’m going to get some food and a movie. I’m starving. Be back late.’ You didn’t sound like yourself but I assumed you were angry. What happened?”

 

Ray let his lips and frowned. He remembered everything on the walk over - MAD, the tests, the straps, and the lab. He was sure he would have bruises from pulling against those clear straps. He started gearing up what to say, to tell the story and explain who their new villain was. But it stuck in his throat, drying it out. He felt a weird clash of urges. He wanted to tell Gavin everything, for them to hunt down this bastard together and make a file and maybe make him a top priority because who knows what happened while he was passed out.

 

But he was embarrassed too. Getting captured by an Alpha villain so easily...it was a rookie move. He was always dogging on his partner for his stupid mistakes and this one was the biggest fuckup of their career so far. Admitting it out loud was like making the whole bizarre experience real. _It probably won’t happen again._

 

“Yeah,” Ray finally croaked out, so thirsty it was starting to hurt. “Got hassled while I was there and had to find his jacket. Got kind of lost trying to hide from some kids who I thought I was a street performer or Green Lantern or something.”

 

Relief flooded Gavin’s face and he smiled brightly. “That’s what you get for running around in your suit, you silly little sausage.” The Brit hesitated for a moment before he laid a hand on the other’s knee. “I know you get angry sometimes, Ray. That everything gets annoying, even me...well, a lot me.” Ray cracked a smile. “But you don’t ever have to run away like that. You can just come home, I’ll stay away if you need some alone time.”

 

Ray’s chest ached in a new way. He felt like a piece of shit for lying but this talk felt real. He had run away before for no reason just to escape the noise. But he felt bad taking advantage of his friend’s insecurity like this. _Shit. I should’ve told the truth_. “Yeah, man. This apartment gets a little small sometimes.”

 

“We can talk about anything, mate,” Gavin promised, patting his leg before scooting back. “Don’t keep it all bottled up or you’re fixed to explode. We’ll maybe make some codewords or something, a color system.”

 

Ray let out a weak laugh. “You wanna’ safe word for alone time?”

 

Gavin’s innocent blink was nothing short of adorable. “A what…?

 

“Oh my god.”

 

o0o

 

Ray made sure Gavin was wrapped up in making him an emergency dinner (box oven chicken and instant mashed potatoes, something even the Brit couldn’t fuck up) before he snuck into the bathroom for a shower. He stripped out of his suit and stood in front of the mirror to get a good look at himself. There was some color on his upper arms but the only “wound” he found was the tiny pinprick from the needle that had served as his IV. He checked all over but there was nothing. He sniffed at himself, at the suit, but only that strange chemical-clean and faint mint smell lingered. Not even trace scent markers of an Alpha.

 

What did he want from me? What did he take?

 

o0o0o0o

 

X-Ray had been far more tempting than he’d imagined. The boy’s fine, vanilla scent had amped up once sedated in an age-old biological trick to pacify Alphas while he slept. And here in his hands were pages of data that all pointed to one thing - _perfection_. The results were in. Hormone signatures were healthy, vitals strong, sugar and cholesterol levels in good shape, and disease free on all fields. The detective he had hired came back with the harder information he’d been interested in. Apparently X-Ray had never had more than half a dozen girlfriends, one male partner, and none had ever lasted long.

 

He had everything he needed to create a faux-heat serum, the first draft of many. He would hone it, develop it into several branches of weapons. And precious X-RAy would help him.

 

“Perfect,” Ryan sighed out in relief, thumb flicking through more of the pages. He trusted his systems but he liked to see the numbers for himself, to double check. False hope wouldn’t do him any good now. There was a soft, comical moo before he felt EDGAR push against his leg for attention. He rolled back from his desk a little and smiled at the droid, laying his hand on their head. “Hey, buddy.”

 

EDGAR’s screen flashed to squinty anime eyes and it made him chuckle. The plate under his hand warmed to show affection and he let his thumb tease the display screen. He could vividly remember the weeks he’d spent working on his little helper droid after he’d seen ORF. It was a novel idea and he’d tinkered with it for fun at first, using scraps of metal.

 

Enormous Dangerous Gravity-defying Air-based Robot. E.D.G.A.R. A misnomer for his little helper droid but he liked how intimidating it made them sound.

 

The first prototype, [EDGAR I](http://40.media.tumblr.com/8489ae2209bae65d4fc25741c1a4d630/tumblr_ntlwggRIP51r4uv0wo1_250.jpg) looked a lot like ORF, simply a round little fellow. The dark metal pieces of metal he’d used for the shell to close the gaps between the silver had resembled spots - the sensors he’d applied looking like ears and a snout. For fun, he’d even given them a tail as well. Afterwards he’d simply looked at them and smiled. _Cow. It’s cute._ It reminded him of the little calves he’d helped raise to maturity back on his parents farm. It felt like a lifetime ago and the nostalgia had gotten to him. After another silly design (creepy [EDGAR II](http://40.media.tumblr.com/cbb7ef960e1f0344551dca9bab05b080/tumblr_ntlwggRIP51r4uv0wo2_540.jpg), with that monotone voice and unmoving legs) and a big brainstorm with a case of Diet Coke and bad nightly cable, he came up with the perfect one. [EDGAR III](http://36.media.tumblr.com/032ba59d4686a07585f15bc97013dbc1/tumblr_ntlwggRIP51r4uv0wo3_250.jpg), the one giving tiny little squeaky sounds and wriggling happily under his hand. They had their own personality, the best AI he could create with the resources he had. Even he couldn’t sometimes predict what his tiny friend would say or do. It was a reflection of his genius, but mostly...it was a friend.

 

“Can I tell you a secret, EDGAR?” Ryan teased.

 

“Always!” the droid promised.

 

 _Eager little thing._ “If X-Ray hadn’t been compatible for my experiment, I may have...asked him out on a date.”

 

EDGAR blinked up at him in a wild, exaggerated gesture. “Really? You haven’t had a human companion in years.”

 

“Thanks for reminding me.” He playfully knocked his knuckles against the droid. “You heard him. He’s strong, feisty, and...well, maybe not in this case, but he just _feels_ like he doesn’t need an Alpha to protect him.” His expression softened. “But underneath all that, I bet there’s someone vulnerable. I want to see that. I want…”

 

Ryan closed his eyes and frowned. It felt like a brief shock, like static biting at your fingertips. He sat more fully in his chair and shook it off. “What the hell am I saying? God, I’m getting weak.”

 

EDGAR sunk lower to the ground, eyes now dotted with electronic tears. “Master, don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re just lonely.”

 

Ryan pursed his lips and looked away, hands clawing into the arms of his chair. “It doesn’t matter. I’m just thinking with my knot again. I’m getting emotion mixed up in the work. He’s nothing more than a specimen to me.”

 

EDGAR didn’t dare speak too loud, lowering his volume to make himself smaller somehow. “There’s nothing wrong with emotion, Master. It’s human.”

 

Ryan rested his head against the back of his chair and let his eyes fall closed again. “There’s no time to be human right now. There’s things that need to be done.”

 

* * *

 

**Big thanks to Chooboozle for making such adorable art and MaskedPlayer for coming up with EDGAR's cute acronym because I would've never been able to do it on my own. Also ryanthenippleguy and figurativelynsfw on tumblr for being so awesome and helping me come up with this whole outline. All the depraved experiments about to be performed on Ray - they came up with :D I was just happy to write it all down!**

 

**Hope you guys liked this chap and any comments mean everything to me <3**


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I'll need some verbal feedback from you, of course, though I expect physically you'll provide a plethora of information.”

EDGAR zoomed into Ryan’s bedroom. They were releasing a simple, constant beeping as they circled the human’s bed. “Master, it’s time to get up.”

  
  


The mound of blanket moved faintly and there was a grunt, but no other response. The droid beeped louder but there was little more than a shift under the covers. Their display screen showed furrowed, determined eyes and their tiny horns suddenly started to extend. Sleek, flexible extensions unraveled and the horns at the end split, creating three-pronged “hands”. They patted at the covers insistently but only received another grunt. With small whirr, the windows untinted to spill in sunlight and the hands snatched the blankets, yanking them away and onto the floor.

  
  


Ryan yelped and threw an arm over his eyes, body curling up tight from the sudden chill. “EDGAR! You cheated!”

  
  


“You programmed me this way,” the droid sang as they came over to hover just above the bed, eyes now cheery. “Good morning, Master!”

  
  


“I hate you,” Ryan muttered as he tried to slowly pry his arm away and adjust to the light.

  
  


The droid’s horns receded and snapped back into place, forming into tiny horns once more. “You ordered an early wake up call. Plan ‘Recapture X-Ray’ is scheduled to start today.”

  
  


“ I am painfully  _ not  _ clever at two AM,” the Alpha grumbled, squinting and blinking at the droid.

  
  


“Shall I have Small Housemaid Unit make breakfast?”

  
  


Ryan reluctantly sat up and shook his head, blonde locks falling into his eyes. “No. Tell SHU that I’ll do it myself. He always uses the wrong pans anyway.” He cracked a yawn and scooted to the edge of the bed, idly petting EDGAR as his feet hit the sun-warm carpet. “Just get me my meds and some water.”

  
  


EDGAR whirred lowly. “Master…”

  
  


“No arguments this morning,” Ryan huffed, scratching through the start of a beard. “I’m tired.”

  
  


EDGAR beeped softly before zooming to the other side of the bed. Their horns extended to dig into the mini-fridge and pull out a cold bottle of water, arm looping around to hold it. They carefully took out and stacked four bottles of pills along the flat, smooth metal of their back. When they returned, Ryan had his head in his hands and looked a little pale.

  
  


“Master, you should eat first,” EDGAR insisted, laying the water bottle beside the human before turning reluctantly to present the row of bottles.

  
  


“I’m not all that hungry,” Ryan admitted. With a heavy sigh he sat up and cracked open the water, plucking up the first bottle. Propranolol HCL for his chronic migraines, blood pressure, and an early combatant of his family’s history of weak hearts. It always took two swallows to get the sticky capsules down.

  
  


Controne was next, small and strangely purple. An oral neutralizer to reduce his strong scent, to slow his hormone production. He may have wanted to prove himself as an Alpha but he didn’t like the attention he got from it in public or his staff. He didn’t want to dominate because he was an Alpha with a potent scent, he wanted to do it because he was the best. He’d been taking the pills for years, slowly upping the dosage whenever he felt it pertinent. He still had to apply spray-neutralizer to get the scent to diminish completely. He’d taken Phimospherilytic to reduce not only his own scent but the effect of others scents on him but he’d become highly sensitive to the meds. Even though he’d stopped using them once he’d realized the cause of his shakiness and nausea, the meds had left their effects by giving him a chronic migraine condition. It was one of his many regrets.

  
  


Then Cauterasthenia - thick, white, bitter pills that he had to break into two pieces to swallow. They were a hassle but necessary. They were suppressants to couple with the neutralizers. He didn’t like to suffer the indignity of rut. Three days of humping a hole into his mattress and shredding his pillows with itchy fangs was  _ not  _ an ideal way to spend his time.  The meds weren’t always strong enough so he kept track of his rut cycle and when the time came he took Cerebellagor to reduce the trickles of base Alpha instincts and Apoandroden to keep him from popping a knot every few minutes.

  
  


Ryan already felt sour stomached by the time he was at the last bottle. Bupropion. It was one he’d only been taking the last few months and it felt the heaviest. It was a shameful secret of his. He’d seen a psychiatric therapist almost a year ago and after several sessions they’d both come to the hard conclusion that he had depressive tendencies. With being cut off from his family and a lack of true human companionship, the constant need for competition, the death of his old golden retriever...it had all built up into a slump that he’d had trouble clawing his way out of. He’d picked up smoking and had nearly stopped eating there for a while.

  
  


The psychiatrist had recommended Bupropion for both the depression and to help him quit smoking, and Ryan hadn’t gone back since. He didn’t need a doctor to get his hands on the medication he needed, there were other ways.

  
  


“Master, let me bring you juice and eggs,” EDGAR pleaded with a purposeful, happy tenor. “Sugars and proteins are the best way to start off the day.”

  
  


Ryan waved the droid away. “Just some coffee. I have a lot of work today before I go after the hero.”

  
  


“ Master-”

  
  


Ryan felt a flare of heat in his chest before an uncharacteristic growl spurted past his lips. “I said  _ no arguing _ . I’m not in the mood.”

  
  


EDGAR carefully lowered more closely to the floor, taking care not to spill the pill bottles on their back. He obediently whirred over to the mini-fridge, deposited the bottles, and then left to make sure the lab preparations had been started by the other droids.

  
  


Ryan rubbed a hand over his eyes and sighed.  _ Maybe I should up my suppressant dosage again. _

  
  


o0o0o0o

  
  


It had been a week and not a peep about the MAD Scientist. Gavin didn’t seem surprised, babbling all the way to Monarch Labs about how they’d get a lot of one-shot villains like Batman.

  
  


“ We’ll probably never see him again,” Gavin sighed, making sure to keep close to his partner with everyone so crowded on the bus. “Oh well. No tapes to go off of, no images at all. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.”

  
  


“ Maybe he got bored,” Ray grumbled, arms crossed over himself protectively. A part of him was relieved, that he wouldn’t have to worry about that anymore, that he could put it behind him and not have to confront the stranger who’d kidnapped him. Another part of him was completely insulted.  _ What? I wasn’t good enough to be his lab rat? Of course not. When have I ever been good enough for an Alpha? Fucking typical. I’m good enough to flirt with for like five minutes and then I’m boring. Scent’s not good enough, I’m too hairy, I’m ugly, take your fucking pick of excuses. Stupid knotheads. Stupid villains. _

  
  


“ Who fucking needs them?”

  
  


Gavin frowned at him. “What?”

  
  


Ray’s ears got warm when he realized he’d said it out loud. “Nothing.”

  
  


They got to the lab through the side entrance without any trouble, escorted by a happy ORF. When they were with the droid, it was almost like they were invisible. It was nice, it got them to Hilda’s experimental lab without having to sneak around. They rode the elevator up and when the doors opened they caught a blur of black and white zooming by.

  
  


Gavin blinked dully at the empty air. “Was that a tiny cow?”

  
  


ORF gave a little electronic giggle before leading them forward and into the actual lab. Hilda shot them a grin over her shoulder, literally wrist deep in a pile of wires. “There you two are. Take a seat.”

  
  


“ We’d rather stand,” Ray protested, barely finishing the sentence before Gavin had plopped down in a comfy looking egg chair. “God damn it, Vav.”

  
  


“ What?” the Brit chirped.

  
  


He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Nevermind.”

  
  


“ So, I have a few strange products. And by strange, I mean...well, you’ll just have to see,” Hilda chuckled to herself as she yanked her hands out of the wires and wiped the oil smudges off on her pants. She hefted a metal box off one of the tables and set it down between the heroes. “Some of them are a little unorthodox but that’s because I raid the donate boxes sometimes, and like before I’ve modified them to suit crime fighting.  _ Hopefully _ .”  

  
  


“ Hopefully?” Gavin parroted.

  
  


Hilda popped off the lid. “Just check ‘em out. Here, Vav, these are for you.” She dug inside and pulled out a pair of gloves that matched the ones he already had.

  
  


Gavin frowned but took them. “New Slow-Mo hands?”

  
  


Hilda bit back the technical jargon and long explanation and just nodded instead. “I’ve tweaked with them. I’m still not sure in a practical sense how these can be used, but I’ve been playing with the idea of containment. If everything aligns just right, you should not only be able to slow down molecules but ‘reverse’ them. The optimal use that comes to mind is containing explosions, maybe even minimizing damage by reversing them as far as possible. It’s all theoretical though.”

  
  


Gavin peered curiously at the gloves and hummed for a while before beaming at the engineer. “Neat!”

  
  


“ Also  _ this  _ \- and this one personally has a stack of waivers for you to sign.” Hilda pulled out a medium sized lava lamp. It wasn’t overly large but it had a sizeable amount of goo inside. It was glowing on its own and that raised some red flags. “It has two functions, both highly experimental. There’s a button at the bottom. If you press it, throw it, because it’s essentially a flash bomb. X-Ray’s specs will automatically heavy tint to protect him but you’re essentially vulnerable.” Gavin cooed in awe and it made her smile to herself, the Alpha side of her soothed by impressing the Omega. “But if you twist the top and throw it - it becomes a goo bomb. It’s going to splash anyone within a five feet radius with potentially white hot goop and they won’t be going anywhere. Now, whether that’s because they’re stuck or dead is still in the hypothesis stage…”

  
  


“ That’s mental,” Gavin awed, carefully taking the lava lamp in both hands. He stared at it nervously for a minute before slipping it into his backpack.  

  
  


Ray made grabby hands at the box. “Me next!”

  
  


“ Hold your horses, I have a couple for you,” Hilda griped as she plucked out a pair of green and black boots. “Behold, Mr. Parkour-Master. These are made up of highly experimental, NASA-grade, polypropylene-esque mesh weave with a synthetic resin binding agent-”

  
  


Ray gave an exaggerated groan and rolled his eyes. “Dude.”

  
  


Hilda pursed her lips and threw the boots at him. “They’re bouncy shoes. Parkour away.”

  
  


“ No freaking way!” Ray shot her a big grin, already pulling at the boots to feel their strange texture. “Is there a button or something for hardcore parkour action?”

  
  


“ Just jump really hard?” Hilda suggested with a vague gesture. “I’m not really sure. You’ll figure it, you’re the parkour master here.”

  
  


“ Damn straight I am,” Ray muttered to himself as he stuffed the boots into his own messenger bag. He’d used it for his first semester of community college but now it was just a solid bag to heft all his stupid shit to friends houses. “Gonna’ leap buildings in a single bound!”

  
  


“ More like fire hydrants,” Hilda snarked, plucking what looked like a metal flower out of the box. “Okay, so this one is self indulgent because I just wanted to see if I could while setting up a trial for our mini explosives.”

  
  


Ray squinted at it. “Is that a rose?”    

  
  


“ You were wearing a Tuxedo Mask t-shirt last time you stopped by,” Hilda explained with a tinge of embarrassment. “I just thought it’d be kind of novel.” He wrinkled up his nose and she quickened her speech. “It’s actually really cool, in theory. You should be able to push down this leaf here while swinging this in a wide arc and, if things go perfectly, it should dispense these miniature explosives, or “petals”, three or four at a time. When they hit the ground with a certain force they’ll just sorta blow up.”

  
  


“ Flower bomb? Really?” Ray needled, though he eyed the gadget with interest. “What’s the, uh, chances that thing will blow up in my undies?”

  
  


“ Totally low,” Hilda insisted way too quickly. “Like, pfft, below twenty. They  _ shouldn’t  _ blow up.”

  
  


“ Less than twenty percent and I get to be Tuxedo Mask? Sign me up.” Ray snatched it up so fast that the other two winced but he was careful putting it in his bag. “What else you got?”

  
  


Hilda flashed fang. “You’re a greedy shithead. Do you even understand how long it takes to make this stuff?” His deadpan expression told her everything she needed to know. “Of course not. Well, there’s only one more anyway. And, to be honest, I made it when I was drunk. Don’t laugh at it, okay? The technology is sound and possible groundbreaking. Not as groundbreaking as the slow motion gloves, but still.”

  
  


“ Are you going to show me or monologue all day?” Ray drawled, getting a hit of satisfaction when Hilda huffed. “I’m just teasing. Really, what is it?”

  
  


Hilda grabbed the last useful thing out of the box and held it out to the hero. The duo stared for a moment before their cheeks reddened up and their lips pursed. She gave a growl of warning but it was only met by two loud, obnoxiously sudden laughs.

  
  


“ Oh my god!”

  
  


“ What is that?”

  
  


“ It was in the donation box, assholes!”

  
  


“ It’s  _ Waluigi _ !”

  
  


Hilda  growled more loudly but she couldn’t deny that the stuffed Waluigi doll was kind of hilarious looking. She rolled her eyes and shoved it into Ray’s chest. “Here, take it. I modified the insides for some experimental government tech.”

  
  


Ray was still snickering as he examined the dolls, fingers wrapping purposefully around the thin body. “So what does he even do? Does he, like-”

  
  


“ _ Don’t squeeze him! _ ”

  
  


The Alpha rumble in the barked command made both the Omegas whine and duck their heads. Ray moved in front of Gavin in a base need to protect, putting himself between his friend and the Alpha - the challenge. Hilda backed off the second she realized what she’d done but her hand was still outreached in a plea.

  
  


“ Don’t squeeze him in here,” Hilda stated much more calmly. “Though it’s not very sensitive, inside of him is a device that emits not only an EMP but if squeezed twice will give off a sonar-based blast that will disable enemies pretty quickly.”

  
  


Both heroes just stared at her. She slapped a hand over her face. “You’ll take out me, ORF, yourselves, and who knows how many others because I don’t know the distance or directional pattern the blasts have yet. That’s for you to find out. It’s too dangerous to test in the building.”

  
  


“ Ohhhh. Shit, why didn’t you say so?” Ray snapped, but there was no heat behind it. He tucked the little guy into his bag and zipped it up. “Actually the weirdest weapon I’ve ever seen, but pretty neat. Hope he likes traveling in my shorts. So what are the chances of him bumping around in my infinite crotch sling and going off?”

  
  


“ Less than ten.”

  
  


He squinted at her.

  
  


“ Less than fifteen.”

  
  


“ Hilda…”

  
  


“ Jesus. Less than  _ twenty _ , I promise.”

  
  


“ What is this, an auction?”

  
  


“ Survival auction,” Gavin chimed in with a small laugh.

  
  


“ Shut up, Gav.”

  
  


o0o0o0o

 

For how good the weapons seemed, it did the duo a fat lot of good when they couldn’t remember to use them. A local gang had started a bad scene at a bar near the superhero duo’s own apartment complex. They’d suited up and gone full tilt, ready to break up a rumble, but the second guns had been drawn they bolted. They got parted in the crowd that was fleeing from the gunshots, shouting for one another briefly before deciding to hoof it for safety.

  
  


Ray couldn’t remember anything more than an empty side street before it all went dark.

  
  


o0o

  
  


Bright lights, mint and clean and  _ tight _ . Ray gasped and was treated to a  lungful  of the strange, sterile scent that he wasn't sure he would ever forget. Ray let out a pathetic growl and started thrashing, feeling the cling of the wide clear straps across his body. They felt strategically placed, right along his joints and major muscle to keep him absolutely pinned. He opened his eyes and had to wince away from the light. Dark goggles and blonde hair suddenly blocked it, the tinted lenses staring right through him.

  
  


“I want to thank you for your cooperation last time, X-Ray. Because of you, I have the first draft of my serum. From this, many more will branch. Some failures, some successes.”

  
  


“Then you got what you wanted, right?” Ray barked, panic starting to set in, unsure what this meant. “Let me go.”

  
  


“Not yet. I told you the rules already, X-Ray.”

  
  


Ray grit his teeth and stared into those tinted lenses. “What do you want, motherfucker? You got what you wanted, right? What else are you taking?”

  
  


“ I’m taking nothing,” MAD soothed. “I’m only giving and taking notes. If you need any assistance at all during the experiment, just tell me. If the discomfort becomes too much, I have all the supplies I’ll need to assist you. Rest assured, I will not touch you beyond professional interaction.” The villain picked up a full injector - smaller needle, more efficient than a syringe.  _ Looks like it’s straight out of Star Trek. Fuck. _ “ So, are you ready to begin?”

  
  


Ray squirmed, pulling at the straps. He knew it was futile and it was more for show, to fight against the Omega whispers in him that demanded he submit. He was still in his X-Ray suit, though the cape was gone, so he felt protected in a way.

  
  


“You’re going to hurt yourself. You will need this energy for the experiment.”

  
  


Ray growled and kept fighting, the restraints groaning pitifully as he strained to try for an escape. He wouldn’t let the Alpha see him roll over and bare his belly like some pitiful Omega. But the second the Alpha’s gloved palm rested on his cheek he went lax. Maybe it was how gentle he was, or maybe it was the faint rumble he made while doing it, but the touch didn’t seem threatening. His head was turned with a soft press of the villain’s palm, chin tilted back to show off his throat. Something cold pressed to his neck and he felt a cold stab of fear. He expected pain but it was just a sharp click and a sting, faint that only made him briefly flinch. There was a flush that worked through his veins, thick and consuming. It felt like his veins swelled with the concoction and he chittered softly, a covered thumb dragging over his smooth cheek. It was weirdly comforting with a foreign feeling rushing through him.

  
  


MAD drew back and picked up a pen and a clipboard, tisking sharply somewhere behind him. There was a whirr before a droid that reminded him of ORF flew up to hover beside the gurney. But it was very tiny, like a large bouncy ball, something miniature out of a Portal game. Flexing metal plates and one wide, glowing red eye to observe everything. “This is M.I.S.U. - Miniature Intelligent Scanning Unit. Say hello, MISU.”

  
  


The tiny droid chirped and Ray couldn't help but think it was  kind  of adorable, swaying in the air like it was.

  
  


“MISU will be keeping an eye on you along with myself during the experiment. For the next few hours, she is your new best friend.”

  
  


Ray opened his mouth to make a smart remark but audibly choked, eyes going wide before he did his best to curl up. The straps restrained him and MAD clicked a button under the table, giving them a more seatbelt-like effect that allowed the Omega to arch up from the table. His back bowed in a long, perfect curve. MAD actually smiled in utter delight at the perfection he witnessed and started jotting down notes. MISU beeped before a thin, red line projected over the Omega's forehead and started working its way down in a thorough scan. The hero's face was a strange mix of emotions, brows pinched up but jaw dropped in a wordless scream.. A flush was working its way up from the hem of his neckline, staining everything it touched a rosy red. The hero's gloves squeaked as his fingers tried to claw at the gurney before balling into fists.

  
  


“I'll need some verbal feedback from you, of course, though I expect physically you'll provide a plethora of information.”

  
  


Ray let out a loud keening noise over the scientist's mild-mannered talking. His eyes shut tight against the sudden spikes of pain that prickled at his ribs, sparking off down his sides and ending up pooling heavily behind his belly button. He felt his thighs trembling below the tight mesh of his suit, muscles twitching wildly as the drug seized his whole body in a foreign vice. He'd never felt anything like it before but it almost felt like that awful Omega curse. A heat. He'd been lucky enough to present at the end of summer so he'd missed that biological window in the warmer  months  where heats happened every six weeks. He wasn't due to start falling into those cycles for another two months or so and he'd been dreading it, and now he had proof it was terrible. He'd never had such a sickening mixture of pain and arousal. It was an ache in his guts, a deep stab that craved to be rubbed out.

  
  


MAD tapped his pen against the edge of the clipboard to catch his attention. “Tell me, how are you feeling right now?”

  
  


“Hhheeh-” Ray panted forcefully, tongue feeling swollen behind his teeth. He finally slumped against the gurney, squirming as the pinpricks of sensation he could feel all through his belly and down into his thighs. There was a sudden wetness between his cheeks and as he moved he whined at how it built up, staining the inside of his suit. It smeared across his skin, more wells of Omega shame coming up by the moment. He'd never been so slick before and his cheeks were flushed for a couple reasons. His cock plumped up and strained against the stretchy material, getting hugged in a frustratingly unsatisfying way. “Hot. It's hot. Wh...wha' did you...?”

  
  


MAD never looked away from his face and it was unsettling, but it made him throb inside his suit. He panted the Alpha to at least glance down, to see how desperate he was becoming from the serum. He hated himself for it but he found he wanted to show off, to be pleasing for the Alpha. To be worthy of getting some relief.

  
  


“Fuck.” His back bowed again, legs straining to part and present. He felt too tight all over.

  
  


“ Hot? Is that all?” MAD needled curiously. “You seem to be  experiencing ...”

  
  


MISU flashed briefly before running a scan over the hero again, sending feedback straight to the mainframe as the hero starting to really shiver, musk starting to seep from the collar of his tight suit. A feral, wanting growl ripped from the Omega's throat and MAD was taken back, eyes rounding out behind the safety of his goggles as the boy's every muscle bunched. The wild sound broke off into a ragged, keening moan before he slumped into the table again. Ray's expression was pure bliss, mouth so wet and open like an invitation.

  
  


MAD caught a whiff of the hero and there was a new, strong flavor there.  _ Musk _ . It reminded him of dry, crushed petals and a deep vanilla swirl with an edge of smoke. Incense and potpourri laced with Omega hormones that begged his tongue to lick and taste.

  
  


“Oh, that was rather quick wasn't it?” MAD observed with a pleased lilt to his voice. “You reached orgasm in less than three minutes, though I see it was dry. My, my...this is rather interesting, don't you think?” He jotted down a few lines of notes while an almost hungry smile spread across his face. “And you smell absolutely divine. I'm quite pleased with this.”

  
  


Ray's form strained against the bonds again with a loud jolt. The sound almost startled MAD with how sudden and violent it came. The Omega began to dissolve into an absolute mess of slick and whimpers, body slipping out of his control as he became consumed in heat. Surges of sensation rocked between his tips and his cock throbbed incessantly, leaking in hot dribbles that he could feel wetting his suit. The pleasure would crest, heat splashing between his thighs, but there was no satisfaction. He'd tease along the edge of orgasm and there would pressure, a seize of muscle, but it was dry. It was so close to a true orgasm but it was too tight, too sharp, and with no relief. They made his whole form shake, skin prickled and riddled with over-sensitivity. No matter how many times he came close to reaching the edge, he couldn't spill over. Ray rutted his hips up, trying to rub his cock against the clear straps, but there was little friction there to be found.

  
  


MAD took one hand off the clipboard and let his fingertips touch the boy's sweat slick cheek. Ray immediately whipped his head away, panting shakily and flushed all over. He whined pathetically as his entire body screamed at him to get closer to the Alpha for  _ anything  _ –  any sort of friction to help him. Ray had never needed to come so badly and he couldn't with the way he was. Fingers grazed through his damp hair and he stubbornly snapped Omega fangs. Covered fingers carded through his hair, a thumb brushing along his nape where sweat damp hair had started to curl. The gentleness shocked him and sent pleasurable jolts that made him twitch. 

  
  


When Ray dared to look at MAD, the man seemed concerned. His mouth was pursed in a thin white line and his jaw looked tense. He was observing the screen above the gurney where MISU’s readings were spilling out, showing his vitals. MAD drew back and made some notes on his clipboard, muttering about how he’d ill prepared for the depth of information he’d needed. 

  
  


“Forgive my poor planning, X-Ray, I’ll be much better suited next time.” MAD set aside the clipboard, tisking sharply. “Bring me the aids.”

  
  


Ray whined in confusion but there was a whir of a droid he couldn’t see and MAD leaned down to grab something, putting it on the tray beside him. It took Ray a long moment to realize what he was looking at but when he did he gaped dumbly.  _ Is that a fucking buttplug? _ I t was black and slim but definitely defined, thicker at the bottom and thinning out as it went along, with a tapered bottom. He’d only ever dared put two fingers inside himself, let alone a plug.

  
  


“I believe this will help settle you. I’ll check your dilation but this should be best.”

  
  


Ray wet his lips, nervous but suddenly more ravenous. His hole was actually aching at this point, hopelessly wet and wanting to clench around something. “Don’t you f-fuckin’ touch me.”

  
  


“If that is what you wish,” MAD conceded easily. “But I will give you the plug so you don’t throw yourself into heat-shock. I can see I won’t be able to run all the tests I want this session. The serum was too potent for someone so inexperienced, I see that now. Allow me to give you some...comfort.”

  
  


The word could have come off suggestive but it was more resigned than anything, layered with guilt. Something about it calmed the jagged nerves inside the Omega. Through the heat and the ache and the sweat - Ray felt himself give. He expected to get a sick flood of self hate but there was only the anticipation of relief. 

  
  


“But before I do that, there is one other order of business,” MAD commented, picking up an orb off the medical tray. It looked like a large marble but there was clockwork inside, and when it was squeezed it lit up. “This is mini MISU. I made her just in case something like this happened. She’s going to perform a quick internal scan to make sure I can have proper satisfaction waiting for you next time.”

  
  


Ray swallowed heavily, hands pulling at the clear restraints. He felt himself gush almost obscenely at the prospect of getting something inside his wanting hole. “It’s...gonna’ hurt?”

  
  


“No, X-Ray, not at all,” MAD promised smoothly as the little droid floated up of his palm. “You may feel discomfort at first but she’s very well programmed. She won’t even need a minute and then I’ll give you the plug. Hold still.”

  
  


Ray’s breath caught loudly as the Alpha took up a scalpel, the edge glinting a strange blue. He squirmed but the Alpha tisked sharply and he went still. MAD clicked two buttons at the bottom of the gurney and the clear straps across his legs retracted. There was a thought of fleeing but one firm tug at the straps still along his chest and over his arms showed it was useless. Another pulse of pure want washed through him and he felt himself drift under the surface of the heat, gasping as it poured past his lips and down his throat to fill his lungs with a heaviness that was easier to give into than fight. His pupils blew out and he closed his eyes to protect himself from the light, the darkness only making it easier to sink. 

  
  


MAD patted the Omega’s knees in a wordless command to part and he was surprised when they went so easily. A soft press behind each knee and they raised, boots laying flat on the gurney. Here he’d thought he’d have to get out the stirrups and the hero presented so well, face absolutely flushed with cheeks looking so lush now bathed in the evidence of his pleasure. ‘ _ A lovely Omega. How lucky we were to find him _ .’ He ordered Ray to stop squirming again and this time he was listened to. It made it easy to delve a hand between those spandexed thighs and slice a clean line in the suit between his cheeks. 

  
  


The whole table rattled as MAD suddenly clutched it, turning his head away and sucking in a sharp breath. Ray’s scent doubled in potency so close to the source and it threatened to bowl him over. Dark, rich vanilla and the musk of crushed petals, the earthy sweetness coated his lungs and throat and dripping like honey into his belly. His skin prickled and his cock gave an almost painful twitch of interest below two layers of clothes. Thankfully all the meds had dulled the Alpha side of him enough to resist the mouth-watering scent and the stunning display the hero made. Ray’s fussy keens were tempting but he steeled himself against them. The Omega needed to be scanned and then relieved, vitals recorded so that he’d be better suited to calm the Omega during their next encounter. Gathering the samples and data he needed right now would only be a traumatic. The last thing he wanted to do was stress his subject and taint the results, not to mention future experiments.  

  
  


“You’ll experience some pressure. Stay as relaxed as possible.”

  
  


Mini MISU waited for verbal permission before it darted between the hero’s legs and sought his wet rim. The droid was smooth glass and when it pressed up against his hole there was some resistance before a gush of slick to the tune of the Omega’s soft moan. MAD placed a solid hand on Ray’s shoulder to ground the boy, hushing him as he watched the droid disappear beneath the torn folds of the suit. The Alpha so badly wanted to look, to watch that virgin rim shyly give to mini-MISU’s smooth walls, but he wouldn’t violate the shaky trust he’d attempted to establish. He would make the Omega as comfortable as possible to ensure cooperation in their next encounter.

  
  


_ I don’t want to hurt this beautiful boy. _

  
  


‘ _Our perfect Omega. We must protect him. Even from himself.’_

  
  


Ray’s brows scrunched up tight and his mouth pulled into an unsure frown, back bowing much more softly. The hero seemed beyond words now, broken down to more base sounds of confusion. Mini-MISU rolled smoothly along his grasping walls, no doubt warming up as it took a scan to later create the perfect heat aid. Ray suddenly jolted against the bindings, another sweet wave of slick trickled past the torn suit and dripping onto the gurney.  ‘ _ It must be against his prostate.’ _

  
  


“Fuck,” Ray hissed before his mouth dropped open in an anguished cry as another, almost-painful dry orgasm. His cock jerked and twitched beneath his tights but it did little more than weakly dribble. As mini-MISU eased from Ray’s twitching body, the Omega grew more lucid and pried his eyes open. The droid popped past his rim and he swallowed a whine. The fullness, however fleeting it had been, was gone and the ache seemed to double. A core of hurt had built up in his groin and now it was splashing down into his thighs and up into his chest. The color had returned to his eyes and they darted around until they fell on MAD, watching the villain take up the plug. 

  
  


“Would you like me to cut your suit a bit more so that you can relieve yourself more efficiently?” MAD’s clipped tone only made his carnal ache more intense. 

  
  


Ray had to try and wet his lips a few times before he could speak again, tongue feeling glued to the roof of his mouth. “ ‘M not jerkin’ off for you, asshole.”

  
  


MAD’s mouth pulled down in a firm frown. “I won’t personally observe, then. But a full physical release is the only thing that is to be done now.”

  
  


Ray eyed the plug as it was held up and chewed his lower lip, trying to think past the tendrils of heat that laced across his mind. It wasn’t too big, probably just as round as two of his fingers. He could never justify spending money on toys and this was one he would’ve bought himself. It didn’t look like it would hurt. 

  
  


“Fine,” Ray muttered, starting to pant as he watched the little, dripping droid disappear somewhere behind him. If he didn’t get something inside him soon he was sure he’d start clawing through his gloves and into the metal. 

  
  


MAD paused. “Aren’t you going to ask me to be gentle?”

  
  


The hero grit his teeth. “Do I have to…?”

  
  


“No, of course not.” MAD eased his legs apart but seemed to keep his hidden gaze a little higher up. “I didn’t bring you here to harm you. This is a place to learn.” He splayed a hand on the hero’s knee and squeezed. “There is no logical reason to harm you when it’s so easily mutually beneficial.”

  
  


Ray’s eyes glazed over once more and the scientist’s cool ramble faded into soothing white noise. The Alpha’s hand was grounding as the blunt tip of the toy pressed against his rim. The pressure was steady and he whined as he felt himself give to it, muscle relaxing and the slick he’d nearly been pouring out eased the way completely. It was only smooth thickness and his lashes fluttered as his body started sending signals to his brain moaning  _ full  _ and  _ Alpha _ . He tried his very best to not think of the nearest one that was holding onto him as he took the toy, although it was difficult. He gave near-silent, low gasps as the plug was surely eased in further. His back curved in a graceful arc once and MAD shamelessly followed it with his eyes, watching the Omega’s body submissively bare itself the deeper the toy went. Ray made sweet little ‘ _ oh’ _ noises as he took each inch, a more pleasurable heat flaring up as he felt the stretch. 

  
  


When the base tapped against his rim he visibly shuddered.

  
  


MAD seated the plug as snugly as he could and with a little tug he could feel the way the boy’s rim clung tight to the tapered base. He thought over his next move and how to make it most beneficial but he could only think of one thing. 

  
  


“It would be beneficial to record your natural, free reactions to this serum. It’s potent, but there is still useful data to be found,” MAD mused out loud as he pressed a sequence into the keypad attached to the gurney. “I’m going to release you now, X-Ray. I promise you that escape is not only futile but dangerous in your condition. It is only here that you are truly safe. Besides running, just do what comes naturally.”

  
  


Ray mindlessly clawed at the gurney as it started to tilt, the rest of the straps loosening before retracting back into the metal. The Omega slid bonelessly onto the floor and left behind a thin, shining trail of slick. The scent that billowed up was almost noxious in its potency, slamming into the Alpha and almost knocking him off his feet. Ray moaned and dropped to all fours, panting harshly and baring down on the toy inside him to indulge in the full feeling it gave him. He was so wrapped up in dealing with the new feelings that he missed the way MAD stumbled back and shoved his sleeve over his face to block the smell. Sugary sweet but with so much depth, calling to an Alpha to taste and claim.   

  
  


MAD doubled over and huffed into his sleeve, trying to calm the sudden hot rush of hormones that tried to flood his system. Ray groaned helplessly and slowly lowered himself to the floor, paralyzing from doing little more than easing his bottom half down to sit on the tile, on his knees with his thighs spread wide so the bottom of the plug pressed against the floor. A gloved hand snaked to uselessly palm at his swollen dick through his spandex. 

  
  


MAD managed to put himself together enough to walk over to the Omega, watching him hungrily paw at himself. There was an obvious latex bulge above the overundies, more hidden beneath. The hero’s face was scrunched in pleasure, cute little mouth hanging open and dark brows knitted up. Something dark and hungry stirred inside the Alpha and a growl he couldn’t swallow pouring from his lips. When he spoke, it was in a gravely tone he almost didn’t recognize. 

  
  


“ Look at you - lost in a deep heat you’ll never have the pleasure of experiencing without the use of my serum,” MAD rumbled out, eyeing the bared line of the Omega’s throat. “Your own heat will be pathetic in comparison to this. You will come to me, begging-” He nearly bit his own tongue to cut off the horrid words , and he cursed himself for nearly saying them aloud. Of course he wanted this sweet Omega crawling to him in the thick of his heat, sliding on his knees - utterly weak with strained and hot muscles. He imagined those pretty eyes lidded and tired while he’d show himself, pulling down those tights to present that pretty, wet hole.

  
  


Ray whined breathlessly. He couldn’t quite register words but the haze of faux-heat. His entire being was narrowed down to just this and he was more than happy to finally have something to rub his crotch against. He was trying not to shudder violently at his own soft rubs, gloved fingers straining against the latex mound to get some friction. He groped at his cock, biting his lip and giving it long squeezes that were useless but felt too damn good to stop. 

  
  


“It already feels better, doesn’t it?”

  
  


Ray rocked down onto the plug then back up into his hand with choppy, amateur movements. As the pleasure grew, he started to find a delicious rhythm, working his hips in a stuttered figure eight that drove the plug against that always-unreachable sweet spot inside him and let him shamelessly grind against his own hand. He wanted to badly to dig inside his suit and get to his bare cock but his need was too urgent. He could only grope at himself, squeezing and rubbing too hard at his covered flesh, getting any sort of sensation he could. He was aching, panting for it, chasing a denied release. He felt ready to burst any moment, welling with liquid heat and simmering so much he was sure he’d boil over any moment. He could feel his hole flexing around the plug and it was so satisfying just to bear down, like scratching an itch.

  
  


MAD diligently recorded the Omega’s reactions, commenting under his breath that he was taking his first toy well and there seemed to truly be a natural. MISU obediently whirred above the Omega, scanning him, still taking in every vital she could pick up. Ray’s quiet pants of  _ need  _ and  _ please  _ got to the Alpha and a sudden, deep urge came upon him.

  
  


MAD retreated and Ryan floated to the surface once more, looking at the Omega with heat and sympathy. The clipboard was set aside and one glove was tugged off, laid upon it. He did not question himself as he walked up behind the Omega and carefully laid a hand upon his nape. Ray hunched his shoulders, almost afraid though his fingers never stopped moving against his concealed cock and he kept pressing his ass to the floor to grind against the plug. Ryan raked his teeth across his lower lip before squeezing the Omega’s neck, letting his thumb and forefinger press right below his ears upon the scent glands hidden there. Ray keened loudly and arched up into the villain’s touch, mouth dropping open in a silent cry as he came. It splashed and against latex and soaked him, wetting between his thighs in a shameful way that made him shudder. 

  
  


The squeal that Ray produced made Ryan nearly roar, wanting to relieve the sudden itch of his fangs and wet his dry tongue with thick slick, but he cleared his throat and managed that smile; it was just a reminder to continue the medications.

  
  


“Good boy,” Ryan muttered, huffing softly when he smelled the musk of Omegan seed, now more full and rich. He drew back and quickly pulled his glove back on. Ray collapsed in a useless heap on the floor, hips still rolling lightly as he rode the post-climax wave. His pupils were large, eyes almost sightless as he drowned in the pure Omega mindset. Ryan gave a sharp whistle and two blocky androids appeared, humanoid and imperfect in their simplicity. “Put him on the table.”

  
  


They obeyed quickly, taking up the hero and placing him on the gurney once more. Ryan composed himself long enough to strap him back up, set up an IV, and put an oxygen mask over the boy’s face. He took a  Once he was sure MISU had a firm eye on the boy, he shot a look at the androids.

  
  


“Guard him. I’ll be back soon.”

  
  


o0o

  
  


Ryan slipped out of the lab and slammed his hand on the door panel, the door sliding shut and sealing with a hiss. He thumbed over a small button and the ventilation system kicked on, clearing the air of the Omega’s scent. He collapsed against the wall and ripped off his goggles, MAD falling away completely to leave a dumbstruck Alpha behind. Ryan breathlessly swooned, head falling back and mouth dropping open as every inch of him seemed to strain in a need to take care of the Omega in his lab. That musky sweet scent of the hero soaked his senses and made his core warm. He wanted to bundle Ray up in his bed and scent his pretty throat while they rode out his faux-heat together. 

  
  


He didn’t even want to breed the boy - he just wanted to take care of him. 

  
  


Ryan had never been so greatly affected by a scent before. He would never hurt an Omega if he could help it, but this one...he hated to even think it, but there was something different about him. For a second he thought of fairytales with love at first sight and soulmates, but it was quickly dismissed. It was hormones and loneliness, that was all. Tenderness aside, he just hadn’t anticipated a thick rush of scent like that. Ray was very potent. He would know for next time.

  
  


Ryan slid to the ground and let himself rest, eyes falling closed as he tried to clear his mind of everything but the experiment and what it was for.

  
  


_ I’ll show them. I’m not weak, I never have been. They’re the weak ones. There’s no difference between the statuses and I will bring them all equally to their knees. Then they’ll see. They’ll look at Alphas and Omegas alike on their bellies writhing in pain and know that their societal structures were lies spoonfed to them from the moment they came screaming into this world. _

  
  


Ryan breathed easier as he refocused his mind, reminding himself firmly of what was truly important. A feisty boy with a strong scent and a cute face - that wasn’t important. It couldn’t be.

  
  


o0o

  
  


“Fuck.” 

  
  


Ray puffed a harsh breath and watched gravel flitter away from him. He’d woken up laying in an alley  _ again _ . The night was chilly on his cheeks but he didn’t feel cold. He took a few minutes to get his bearings before he forced himself to sit up. He didn’t recognize the alley but he absolutely didn’t recognize the jumpsuit he was in. He could feel the cling of the X-Ray suit beneath it. He plucked at the starchy fabric on his chest and frowned at it. Dull blue with no markings, a one piece with a long zipper up the front. It was ugly but it covered his hero suit up nicely and kept out the chill. 

  
  


Ray took off his thick frames and rubbed at his eyes. They felt dry and sore. As he became more aware of himself he realized how achy he was. His muscles were wrung out and weak, fingers a little shaky when he held them up. He felt rode hard and worn, but even from his patchy memories he knew that low throb of pain between his legs was only from being stretched on a plug for so long. It wasn’t so much as pain as just  _ ache _ , the same kind of ache he’d went through after he’d gotten to eager to fuck himself on his fingers. 

  
  


There was something beside him that was out of place, a small side bag. He looked around to make sure he was alone before he pulled back the zipper and carefully dug around inside. He’d hoped for some clue to MAD and what the hell had just happened, but there were only what he would call “supplies” inside. Organic jerky, pieces of fruit in carefully wrapped baggies, some juice boxes, a bottle of prescription Omega-focused vitamins, wet wipes, and a piece of clothing that when he unwrapped it turned out to be nondescript hoodie. 

  
  


“What the fucking fuck?” He hated how rough he sounded. Suddenly the juice seemed like a good idea. 

  
  


Ray felt a spark of recognition before sighing in relief. This wasn’t the exactly alley he’d been dumped into last time but he was only a few blocks away from his apartment. He debated dumping the entire bag but he sniffed inside and there was nothing sour or bitter to give it away. The fruit was whole, the seals on the juices were in place, and when he opened up the vitamins they still had the seal and the cotton stuffed inside. 

  
  


_ Maybe I’ll give it to Gav, test it out. _ Ray started to laugh but it faded out quickly. He wasn’t sure what it all meant - the experiments, the fake heat, MAD himself - but it all made him very tired. There was nothing funny about this, not even to him. Though he didn’t know for sure if he was truly hurt or not, he felt a little guilty for not being more...ashamed, or outraged. For being the cause of the fake heat and for all his villainy, MAD had treated him well. The guy was a complete lunatic, but he’d never felt that his life was in danger. Maybe it was some weird Stockholm syndrome but it was how he felt. Or, at least, he thought he did.

  
  


Ray hefted the bag over his shoulder and got to his seat. He had a long enough walk to come up with a good story to tell Gavin. 

  
  


_ I don’t know how much longer I can keep lying to him.  _

  
  


He lucked out when he got to the apartment - Gavin was fast asleep and he managed to sneak to his bedroom  and change clothes before passing out.

  
  


o0o

  
  


Ray was only halfway through his monster the next morning before Gavin padded out in his boxers and plopped next to him on the couch. A cartoon about aliens gems played on their small TV and the background noise was good for the tense atmosphere.

  
  


“You know,” Gavin started, bare feet flexing on the floorboards. “You can’t keep running off like that on me. I’m getting worried, and it’s not safe. I-”

  
  


“I was thinking,” Ray cut in, his half-lie already on the back of his tongue. “I came back here the other day and got some street clothes to go to my sister’s. I spent some time with my family and I was thinking about whether I want to do this whole superhero thing or go back to school or something.”

  
  


“ That’s where you were that whole time? I don’t have any numbers for them or anything.”  
  


“ Yeah, sorry about that. But I made a decision.”

  
  


Ray looked into his friend’s hopeful face and felt like the biggest asshole on earth.

  
  


“ I want to be a superhero with you. I’m ready. No more running away.”  
  


“ X-Ray,” Gavin breathed, lightly taking the other’s hand and squeezing it. “You have no idea how good that is to hear.”

  
  


“ Don’t make it gay.”  


  
“ Oops, sorry.”

  
  


o0o0o0o

  
  


X-Ray and Vav responded to a call from the mayor about “the worst sci-fi movie scenario ever” and when they stepped off the bus they had to agree with the statement. Horrifying long limbed droids were attacking a gun store. The owner and the employees had weapons drawn and were taking out the smaller bots but the bigger ones were whacking them out of the way. They were using their long, agile arms to scoop up the weapons and dump them in their hollow bodies. They snatched up as many as they could while deflecting bullets and batting off the cops and employees that were trying to stop them. 

  
  


There was something familiar about them to X-Ray and it made his stomach bottom out. “Shit.”

  
  


“Miss. Hilda said these suits deflected bullets...right?” Vav croaked, already breaking out into a nervous sweat around so many guns. 

  
  


“ I’m like eighty percent sure.”  


  
“ Good enough for me!” Vav declared with a new rush of confidence. “Let’s split up, yeah? Give me the Mario doll and I’ll take out the bots inside, and you handle the ones out here. Let’s try and get all the citizens cleared out.”

  
  


X-Ray dug around in his overundies and handed over the EMP Waluigi. “Don’t blow anyone’s eardrums out, okay? Hilda said this shit is still untested.”  
  


Gavin snatched up the doll. “No promises.”

  
  


“...fair.”

  
  


Vav bolted inside with one of his weird battle cries and X-Ray struggled with a plan of his own.  The droids looked pretty sturdy and bullets were bouncing right off them. They didn’t look like they were trying to kill anyone but their metallic hands were strong and they were tossing people around pretty easily. Some of the terrified crowd shouted in joy at the sight of him and he gave a bold wave even as he swallowed down his own fear.

  
  


“Get out of here, kid!” one of the officers shouted before he was smacked into his own vehicle.

  
  


“I’m not a kid, I’m X-Ray!” X-Ray declared proudly before tapping his specs, grinning when he shot out a concentrated energy beam at one of the bigger droids. The grin faded fast when the beam bounced right off its metallic shell and smashed a hole in a nearby building. The droid didn’t seem to even feel it. “Balls.”

  
  


People were staring at him with expectation and hope and he felt himself go red around the ears. “What are you looking at me for? Get out of here! I said  _ move  _ it, people!”

  
  


Someone screamed and they started to scatter. One of the bigger droids smashed it’s long arms into a police vehicle, caving it in. X-Ray scooped up some thick chunks of concrete and started hurling them one by one at the droid. “Hey asshole! Look over here!” He grunted as he chucked the heaviest one. It clunked off the side of one of the droids and made it whirr in protest. “Knock it off!”

  
  


That’s when he saw it. There in the sky above the droids was something...hovering. Someone standing on a disk of some kind with control panel acting as a kind of railing. He zoomed in with his specs and gaped at who was there.  
  


“ MAD Scientist?” 

  
  


That caught the Alpha’s attention. MAD looked away from the chaos and caught sight of the hero, lips quirking up slightly. 

  
  


X-Ray quickly picked his jaw up off the ground. “Oh fuck this.”

  
  


He swore he heard Vav calling his name but he didn’t bother to check before he turned tail and ran off towards one of the side streets. He checked his pride at the proverbial door and booked it, scanning for a good hiding spot. He wasn’t going to let himself get abducted again and he knew Vav had his gloves and was quick on his feet - he’d get himself out the second he sensed danger. He felt like an asshole just bailing like that but that feeling faded quickly when he got himself surrounded by smaller, long-armed droids. Red sensors scanned him and they beeped almost happily, reaching for him with intent.  

  
  


“Fuck you motherfuckers!” X-Ray declared before jumping up and making sure to throw his full weight into the balls of his feet. He gave a very unmanly scream as he launched himself up over the droids and high into the air, limbs flailing dumbly as he started to fall. He barely had enough sense to put his feet beneath him so he could bounce again. There was a bit of a shock through his legs but not as much as he would’ve expected.

  
“ Haha! Can’t catch me,” X-Ray teased as he passed the droids, bounding again down the street and barely missing a tree. “Parkour!”

  
  


X-Ray’s victorious shout was cut off as a metallic arm shot lashed up out of nowhere and wrapped quickly around his waist. The sudden snatch knocked the break out of him and he weakly smacked at the metal plates, trying to get them to loosen. They proved unyielding and he wheezed as he pushed at them, whole body straining to get free of the droid’s grasp. 

  
  


“Well, well, X-Ray. We meet again.”

  
  


X-Ray shot a nasty look at MAD as he hovered nearby, watching behind his goggles with obvious amusement. “Fuck off.”  
  


“ We talked about using that language,” MAD tisked. “Think of the little ones.”

  
  


Ray looked around and was insanely grateful that the crowd that had gathered was still around the weapons shop and that everyone had seemed to flee the area.  _ Good, then I can do this. _ He dug around in his overundies and pulled out the metal rose Hilda had given to him. MAD tensed and gripped the control panel on his hover device more tightly, nerves showing as he eyed the device.

  
  


Unbeknownst to the hero, MAD knew just what that device was and what it’s stats were for failure.

  
  


“X-Ray-”

  
  


“ Eat my gay flower, robo-dweebs!” X-Ray shouted before trying to do  _ exactly  _ what Hilda had told him to do.  _ One long sweeping arc, like Tuxedo Mask.  _

  
  


X-Ray wasn’t exactly sure  _ what  _ had failed but the petals didn’t swoop down onto the heads of the swarming droids. Instead, they dropped limply and plipped down onto the round, metallic bodies. Red sensors blinked, then flash a hot red. The petals started to vibrate and X-Ray’s stomach churned.

  
  


“Oh fuck.”

The explosion was horrendously loud for such small little petals. They went off with a near-blinding light and a rush of heat, swallowing up everything for a few long moments. Ray barely felt the droid release him past the sharp pain in his legs and the  _ whoosh  _ of air that threatened to fry his lungs. He got thrown back somehow and the sidewalk unforgivably tried to shred him up. For a second, everything was dark - then grey. 

  
  


It took some light wheezing to get a full breath and when he managed to sit up he scrubbed his knuckles over his dusty specs. X-Ray coughed out the rest of the smoke and stared at the scene in front of him with that same sour stomach, but now with new and improved  _ bruised  _ feelings. A lot of the bots had large chunks missing from them as they shlecked through the dust clouds like weary warriors, leftover hands slapping at the ground to find their missing limbs. Horror mounted as X-Ray witnessed them shoving themselves back together, some helping one another as fiber-optic cables stitched back together and the metal plates of their skin folded over one another to reforge.

  
  


The smoke parted and MAD hovered toward him, skidding to a stop in front of the hero and stepping off the plate. “Don’t move.”

“You’re not taking me again!” X-Ray barked as he started to drag himself away, legs giving an agonizing protest. His arms gave out and he thumped against a streetlight, hissing. Part of his suit was ripped along his left thigh and he could see the gaping wound peeking out from the torn fibers. He couldn’t look at it long enough to see if there was bone or not but it looked bad. “God damn it.”

  
  


“I said don’t move,” MAD insisted as he took a case out of his pocket and knelt beside the hero. “Hold still. It’s filthy and it needs to be treated.”

  
  


X-Ray gaped at the villain as he opened up the case and took out a glass bottle with a dropper. He bumbled out a few protests but MAD was quick to draw it and carefully place drops around the wound. X-Ray bit his lip at the sting but was floored as the liquid took on a golden shimmer and started spreading down into the wound. It coated it completely, the sting turning into a deep tingle. 

  
“ What is that?”

  
  


“Bio-nanotechnology,” MAD rattled off, intently watching how the hero’s flesh started to plump up and the tissue reform. “You would maybe know something similar from a British show as a ‘nanogene’. They can take the surrounding cells and jumpstart the healing process, doing in minutes what would take months. They’re still highly experimental and liquid based, but they’re small and biodegradable so you won’t have a litter of tiny robot bodies under your skin.”

  
  


The Alpha gave an almost dorky sounding laugh and X-Ray wasn’t sure if that blast had knocked him out or not because there was  _ no  _ way MAD Scientist was geeking out in front of him. 

  
  


“This is some freaky sci fi stuff right here, man. It’s…” X-Ray sighed harshly, the tingling growing warm and spreading through his leg. “Is it supposed to be kind of hot?”

  
  


“ Mmmhm,” MAD drew out, gloved fingers moving aside the frayed edges of the suit to make sure the healing was going as it was supposed to. “Blood flow and dividing cells as they overwork themselves. It’s just your natural energy. Now,  _ cold  _ would be bad.”

  
  


X-Ray picked his jaw up and wet his lips, summoning up his courage. “Why did you abduct me?”

  
  


“I told you that already,” the Alpha pointed out as he took out a spray canister and shook it up.

  
  


“Then why aren’t you doing it now?” he needled.

  
  


MAD’s goggles moved like his eyebrows had risen up in surprise. “Because you’re injured.”

  
  


X-Ray’s teeth clenched in an irritated grit. “So, what? I’m a wounded little Omega and not worth your time? You don’t want to kick a guy when he’s down? That’s a screwed up moral compass if you ask me.” 

  
  


The glow had started to fade in the wound. “I won’t stress your body, that’s not how this will go.”

  
  


“Then how will it go?” X-Ray pushed, thigh muscle twitching as the wound started to close up from the inside up. “With me in some trash heap somewhere, no blood or teeth or fingerprints to identify me? Locked in a cage in your basement like some weird pet? Or are you going to eat me and save the trouble of hiding evidence.”

  
  


“Your brain is very strange, but fascinating.” MAD held the cannister over the wound as it became clear it wouldn’t heal any farther. “This is just liquid bandage.”

  
  


It stung worse than the nanos but it dissolved into a cooling sensation that cut through the warmth from rapid healing. 

  
  


“You lost some blood, you should go to the hospital and get checked out,” MAD stated firmly as he packed the healing items away and slid the case into his lab coat once more. He got to his feet and stepped back onto his hover device, clicking some buttons on the control panel as he did. The droids all flashed their sensors and started rolling themselves up into simple spheres, levitating easily up off the ground in preparation of a retreat. 

  
  


“Oh, and X-Ray?” MAD called.

  
  


The hero tried not to cow under the smooth, authoritative tone. “What?”

  
  


“The answer to your question is no,” MAD insisted with a half-cocked grin. “You will not end up as a slave, or dead, and certainly not as a meal.” He gave a little wave of his hand. “Until next time, little Omegan hero.” 

  
  


X-Ray watched the villain raise up into the air. He couldn’t have told you where MAD and his droids escaped to because when the Alpha had lifted away he’d exposed an overly familiar red and blue clad figure. Vav had been staring at him in blatant disbelief, mouth wide open and eyes bugging out.

  
  


“Uh, hey Vav...looks like MAD got away,” Ray laughed nervously, scrubbing his fingers through his hair. Pieces of rubble and dust fell from the strands and he realized just how bad this all looked. “Sorry about that.”

  
  


“ What was all that?” Vav’s voice was at a dangerously low pitch that he’d only heard a handful of times. “You’ve been kidnapped  _ before _ ? You  _ know  _ him?”

  
  


“Vav-”

  
  


“ He  _ healed  _ you?”

  
  


Vav started stomping toward him and it put more fear in him than when he’d seen MAD.  “Listen, it’s not what it looks like!”

  
  


Vav reached out and snatched the other hero’s cae, dragging him up so they were nose to nose. “We’re going home right now and you’re going to tell me what the bloody hell I just witnessed.”

  
  


“Vav, come on...”

  
  


“No more lies, Ray. I deserve the truth."

  
  
  


 


	4. Chapter 3 - An Intro to Danger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan is a mutant up-and-coming Super Villain with big dreams and a determined heart. It's hard for him to feel love, to feel the social bonds of humanity, and he plans to prove his worth in the world by becoming one of the best thieves in history - "Joule". But this thief has one great weakness - a wild bear in the forest, his mate, Mogar.
> 
> When Dan goes missing for almost three weeks, Mogar goes in search of his mate. He will tear through the entire city if he has to.

**1\. I forgot this was A/B/O so i didn't put Alpha and Omega as pronouns at all. Will do better in the future to remember what the heck I'm writing**  


**2\. This story is getting completely rewired, I'm changing my outline for the Raywood part of the story so that's why this is Dangar cause nothing has changed for them. I don't like the heavy dubcon place this was going so we're switching gears (except for a one-off with Mad King/Dan that's heavy noncon but that'll be super duper optional and muchmuch later). The reason I haven't written it is because I was getting uncomfortable about what was happening and was tired of justifying my actions. So - hopefully this will get back up and running sooner or later. Until then, enjoy villain!Dan and Mogar.**

**Tumblr aesthetic things for[Dan ](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/141754509456/a-super-villain-would-be-a-questionable-career)and [Mogar](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/141754692466/mogar-was-perched-high-on-the-tallest-thickest)**

 

* * *

 

 

Dan grew up in the countryside of the UK. His family had the dregs of old money and good investments, high status in the city and a three story house. He was sent to a prestigious private school, had fully decorated holidays with all the bells and whistles, and had a multitude of pets and hobbies. But no matter how much his parents forced it, his life could never be normal.

 

He didn’t have a lot of contact with people growing up. His parents smothered up the truth and tried to deny it but he was a mutant. Things were always popping apart in his hands, scorched at the edges and ruined. People got stung when he touched them. Dan learned at a young age to keep on fine leather gloves and keep his distance. It didn’t exactly promote a healthy social life. He threw himself into his studies and his powers instead. He trained control into himself, reigning the raw power in until it was something useful and non-lethal unless he willed it.  

 

Dan’s parents were good people, he knew that. They tried their best to parent and love him but it eventually became too draining a task. Dan methodically and efficiently cut all emotional ties from them over the years. They couldn’t understand him and he knew it, he could feel it in their heavy stares and careful steps. They deserved a normal son and he couldn’t give them that. Introverting made it easier for them to part ways, for Dan to become more self sufficient. They grew to fear him more than they loved him and he wasn’t surprised. It was expected. In a way, it had been the plan all along.

 

There was one person he could remember who didn’t mind his surly attitude. A boy at school, Gavin. He was a bright ball of sunshine, all limbs and too-loud laugh and curious nature. The boy would offer to share his lunch and do homework together. He wasn’t particularly intelligent but he was a friend. They’d started to grow really close and Dan had been ready to share his mutation secret when Gavin’s family moved to the states. It was Dan’s first friendship and heartbreak all at once. He’d hardened after that, somehow managing to pull away more from his peers.

 

He didn’t _need_ anyone. Once he could apply to universities he went to the states. He didn’t look for Gavin, he left that tender part of him behind. Instead, he looked for their best schools.

 

What Dan needed was to be alone. He had big plans that came from the pages of the comics he holed up in his room with. His dreams and sketchbooks were painted with his image as a super villain. Over the years he only grew to want it more and more. He would doodle costumes and doomsday devices in his notes during boring lectures. He took up classes in every sort of self defense class he could find, everything his schools offered through the years. His father hired him a private jiu-jitsu teacher and for a while he competed professionally. He dabbled in MMA to keep his skills up but he wasn’t bulky enough to compete on a higher level.

 

He had several trophies in his childhood bedroom proclaiming his gold-standard skill with a bo.

 

A super villain would be a questionable career choice to many but Dan thought it was a perfect fit for him. There were no superheroes, nothing like in the comics, but he was a _mutant_. He could be a true powerhouse with no opposition. Why be the hero when he could be feared and admired in equal measure? He could be rich and powerful as a villain, but then “Dan” could use that money for anything he wanted. Pay off his debts, invest legally in a few businesses and claim it as family money. He’d never have to work a day in his life and he could travel the world in style. He could have the American Dream and all he had to do was empty their banks.

 

It would be his money, earned through thievery, but _his_. He would make something of himself and no one would be able to say he had it handed to him. And, this way, he wouldn’t be on the run as “Dan” but his alternate identity. He could have a normal life, riches, and his fun.

 

That was how _Joule_ was born.

 

o0o0o0o

 

One would wonder if Dan's Omega status had anything to do with these _eclectic_ dreams. Omegas were low on the societal totem pole to begin with but an estranged well-to-do bachelor with odd manners and an icy demeanor were not exactly the Alpha wet dream. From the day he presented, Dan took great pains to wash away and push down every bit of his status. He smothered himself in the most expensive scent neutralizers and took suppressants every day, the best kind that were the easiest on his body and gave him only one heat a year to deal with. He refused to sleep with Alphas as he got older. The Betas he dated never knew his status, assuming him one of them, and the Omegas he charmed took his fit form as a sign of a knot. Most just politely came to conclusions that he had off body chemistry, faulty lymph nodes, and glanced him over as a defective Beta.

 

That furthered the social distance between Dan and everyone else. He became more isolated and with that his villainous dreams grew bigger, his determination more fierce. Statuses meant nothing to him and he didn't understand why society made such a big deal about them. It was just one more thing that set him apart from the rest and proved he was meant for more. By the time anyone knew of Joule's status, he will have robbed them blind.

 

But becoming a super villain was harder than he’d imagined.

 

o0o0o0o

 

Dan’s apartment was small, but comfortable and high up. He liked the quiet and the coziness all to himself, and it came with a deep vintage window seat. When it rained he liked to sit on the cushions under a thick blanket with his shoulder pressed to the glass. The world was a vague, grey blur on those days and he got some peace.

 

It was the middle of the week and though it was cloudy the view was great. He had his headphones in and his pencil to paper, head bobbing softly to the bassline. He scratched out first draft designs for gloves and the mask he wanted to make with his villain outfit. He was in the process of sweet talking a group of young textile engineers at city’s well-funded university. Slowly but surely they were being convinced that a “super hero” suit would be a fun challenge to their skills.

 

At the moment Dan’s suit was a shabbily put-together Hot Topic outfit. He looked more like a Green Arrow knockoff, complete with a plastic mask to hide his eyes and a cloth tube mask for the rest. Thin kevlar underneath took the worst of it. It made him feel cheap but it got the job done. Except it didn’t stop knives or bullets and whenever he used his powers to a certain degree the fabric would singe.

 

Every attempt at a robbery this year had gone horribly wrong. Sometimes it was more guards then accounted for or the turnout wasn’t worth the risk, twice now he’d gotten terribly sick right before a planned heist. The worst part was he was getting stalked by goons. There were these groups of men with thick muscles and plain clothes that kept showing up at his robberies. He’d been forced to fight them for his loot and some times there were too many to handle. Paranoia made him feel like they were cutting him off on purpose, like he was being thwarted - or tested.  

 

But he always thought the worst of situations. He was self-centered like that. He was working on fixing the “everything is about me” mindset, even if it was the way he wanted it sometimes. He had a feeling therapy would do wonders to heal his psyche but who had the time?

 

It was hard earning infamy when he couldn’t even get his name in the papers.

 

Dan looked over at his discarded cosplay-ish costume and sighed. Maybe it was better no one knew who he was yet. He looked like a tight-budgeted Netflix hero. When he got his safer, more stable suit he would really start bringing out his power. He’d ruined three costumes before he decided to dial back the showy displays of energy. Not that his mutation ever made it into the papers or anything. Witnesses always assumed it was all magic tricks.

 

He would show them.

 

o0o0o0o

 

It took a few months and being patient with obtaining it piece by piece, but eventually Dan got his suit. He’d taken each member out the textile engineer team out on dates, wooing them with good food and sweet flattery. The one straight man on the team had taken high end season pass hockey tickets as a bribe, which was even better. Less effort.

 

 _You’d be surprised how far an accent, some bedroom eyes, and a few well placed touches get you_ , Dan mused as he looked himself over in the full length mirror he’d bought just for this. It was in shades of black and blue and it fit _snug_ , but in a good way. It hugged everything he needed it to and he could move easily. He went through a few katas and he enjoyed the yield and stretch of the material. The mask fanned well across his face and the special glue they’d made to hold it in place didn’t itch or burn.

 

Dan grabbed his staff from the wall mount and held it, posing. It was a weapon he’d burned through a lot of cash and two favors to get. It was a blend of highly conductive but stable metals that he could feed his power through. It was heavier on each end. He could deliver burning blows with it, each strike would pack more power than a heavyweight punch.

 

It was good, it was _damn_ good. He looked more like a comic anti-hero than a villain but there wasn’t anything wrong with that when he looked so _badass_.  

 

o0o0o0o

 

Dan carefully cut around an article in the newspaper he held, scissors snapping crisply as he cut out sharp angles. He had a roll of tape between his teeth because his sweats lacked pockets. Once the article was free he got up and went over to the far wall. He’d pushed the furniture away from it a few weeks ago and now it was decorated in clippings in a tetris set up. He laid the article in place and ripped out pieces of tape, grunting at the strain on his teeth. He laid it in place before taking the sharpie out from behind his ear, dropping the tape to snag the cap instead.

 

He wrote the date on the bottom of the article with the fine ink tip.

 

Dan stepped back and admired his work, clicking the cap into place. More than a dozen articles in one way or another and all about Joule. Some named him, others were more vague where he’d gotten away before being identified. They were all small robberies but this last one was different. He’d stolen a sizeable amount of jewels by blowing out the back wall of this high class shop and he’d made the middle of the paper. The biggest difference was that they finally mentioned his powers for what they were - _real_. He was getting close to being called a super villain, he could feel it. Maybe even closer to a headline if he could hit a bit target.

 

Those goons kept showing up but he was getting better at knocking them away.

 

Dan laced his hands behind his head and grinned at the wall. He was getting there, he was making it. With an identity solidified he could make real contacts, get into the villain scene, gain a reputation, all of that. He could really make something of himself here, something he did _himself_ without a silver spoon.

 

He wouldn’t just be a weird mutant anymore but someone to be feared.

 

o0o0o0o

 

Dan had a secret. He wanted to keep his identity under wraps so he could enjoy the money he stole, make a business he could launder to make it useable, but there was something else more important. Something more intimate than even his own name.

 

The camping area in the forest was twenty miles outside the city. Some of the woods spilled out further and nearly touched the city limits but the area Dan drove to had a parking lot, a water house and a small convenience store. It was the starting point for a lot of casual outdoorsmen and it had an area specifically for campers to be parked.

 

Dan pulled in at the corner of the asphalt to keep away from the crowd. He kept his head down as he got out of the car and casually made his way into the trees. He kept to the path for a while until he came across a familiar grouping of flowers. Dan casually checked around for anyone before he darted off the path and deeper into the forest. He’d done this dozens of times, once every week for a little more than a year now. He relied on memory but once he tripped up over a fallen tree he realized he was lost.

 

Dan huffed and stomped around for a while but it was no use. The last big storm had knocked everything around. He could attempt to go back and try again but he was getting impatient. He chose a sturdy tree with low branches and decided to get a higher viewpoint. He secured his backpack and started to climb, muscles straining as he hauled himself up and up until he started to break the canopy. He stopped when he reached a wide, sturdy branch and hugged the trunk when he caught his breath. He could make it up a bit further and he’d be able to see over most of the cluster. _I_ _really need to up my cardio._

 

He heard a noise behind him and he whipped around, back pressed to the tree and pink sparks crackling around his fingertips at the threat of danger. Someone came at him, fast, and he almost struck out but reigned it in at the last moment. The person snarled and hands hit hard on the tree on either side of his head, the solid _smack_ of it making him flinch. Dark eyes burned right into him and ivory fangs flashed.

 

Sun kissed flesh and a bear skin, face paint that smelled of berries - there was no threat here.

 

Dan huffed and put all his weight against the tree, sparks fading out. “I know, I haven’t come out for a while.”

 

“Every week.” Broad shoulders slumped and the man looked put out, disappointed. “You promised Mogar.”

 

“I came, didn’t I?” Dan hushed. He took Mogar’s chin and guided him into a languid kiss to soothe the irritation he could see etched over his mate’s face. Mogar grabbed him around the waist and clumsily kissed back. Even after all this time he was still sloppy but eager.

 

“Mogar missed,” the wild man grunted out, hood slipping back to reveal the curls of his hair.

 

“I know, love,” Dan soothed. “I’m here now.”

 

Dan felt the bark of the tree dig in through his shirt but he didn’t mind. He bit at Mogar’s lips until the man growled and tore away from his mouth, fangs showing for just a moment before they descended on his throat. Dan moaned softly as hard kisses were laid over his neck, sharp points grazing hard over his sensitive neck. He pushed down the hood and fisted his hair, guiding him further down. Mogar snarled and fought against the hold but he got a sharp tug for it.

 

“Don’t mark too high,” Dan scolded, thinking of the line of his suit. Mogar growled and started biting harder but he followed his mate’s direction, staying low. Fingers dug into Dan’s hip and he could feel a hint of claw.

 

“Mine,” Mogar rumbled out. Dan hummed in agreement as a hot tongue started lapping over red marks. His eyes fell shut and he let Mogar lick his scent in, allowing him his claim. He could feel those fangs scraping down to his collar and trying to get lower, snagging his shirt and trying to rip it away. Dan let it go until his jeans were pulled at.

 

“Hey, hey.” He cupped Mogar’s nape and brought him up to rub their cheeks. The other made a rumbling sound and it made him smile. “I’m all yours. I’m going to spend the night with you, okay? Two whole days.”

 

 _That_ made Mogar brighten up. He pulled back and showed off a smile along with a thick spatter of freckles. He suddenly looked so much softer and it touched Dan’s heart. “Home?”

 

“Yes, let’s go back to your treehouse,” Dan teased lightly, giving his nape a squeeze before trying to push forward. Mogar was solid and he huffed out a laugh when he realized he was pinned. “I need to be let go to climb down.”

 

Dan made an embarrassingly high pitched noise as he was swept up bridal style into his mate’s arms. It was effortless and it honestly made him a little hot. He stuttered into a laugh and kissed the other’s cheek. “No, love, put me down. I can make it myself.”

 

Mogar pointedly squeezed him. “Mogar will take care of you.” He pressed their foreheads and the sweet contact stole Dan’s breath. “Always.”

 

Dan snatfched a fistful of his hair and dragged him into a hard kiss, teeth raking over the man’s lip just to feel the give. Mogar faltered at the hot rush of lust that swept through him, tingling down to his knees. “Take me home.”

 

o0o

 

As Dan walked with his mate back to the treehouse he couldn’t help but admire the muscle roped thick over the other’s arms, his back, his legs - he was solid all over. Though they had met on accident through a mishap in the woods, Dan had found something special in Mogar. Beginning with - Mogar had no clue about statuses, despite being an Alpha himself. There was no power dynamic, no social orders to be met. Mogar’s protectiveness came from a deep, primal place that was more pure than any knothead Dan had ever met.

 

Their bond had been forged through innocent though clumsy courting, from mutual respect as warriors, from just...talking to one another, enjoying the time they could spend together. Dan hadn’t expected to find a mate in this strange friendship but Mogar wanted him as _Dan_ , not an Omega. Mogar didn’t understand the terms and what laid behind him, the cultural image grooming of a perfect submissive toy who drooled and whimpered for thick knots.

 

Not that Dan didn’t do that - Mogar’s knot was fat and heavy and he loved it. But he could shamelessly enjoy it because he knew his mate didn’t understand the slutshaming behind it. Dan could be free with this wild man. He could indulge as deeply as he wanted in his submissive side, his own feral needs, and Mogar _understood_ and accepted it happily. They didn’t have Alpha/Omega roles here in the forest, they just had each other as mates.

 

When Dan felt like topping, Mogar had rolled over easily and enjoyed his slender Omega cock. Mogar didn’t know it to be “cute” or “sweet” or a lack of masculinity but as a source of pleasure for them both.

 

Mogar was everything Dan had been looking for - a blank slate so he could be himself, so he didn’t have to keep his nature in check and his needs silenced to look stronger in front of a partner.

 

If he had his way, Mogar would never know of statuses.

 

o0o

 

Mogar’s nest was surprisingly comfortable. It had been made up over the past year starting with a thick bed cushion layered with dry, clean straw. Dan gradually brought sheets to cover up the worst of the straw, wool blankets to keep in warmth though they were both human heaters, and several durable pillows to give his mate some comfort. It was rustic but satisfying.

 

Dan’s cheek was crushed against his forearm, ass up and knees braced deep in the nest. He grunted with each thrust but each brutal drag against his prostate made him give out pathetic little whines. Mogar was truly _mounting_ him, fucking him hard and slow like they both liked. The grass shades were pushed away from the windows and the breeze was swooping through the room but they were dripping sweat, both stripped to nothing and enjoying each other. They’d been at it so long the sun was dying. Mogar had such stunning strength. Dan worked out on the regular and was by no means a small man. Mogar was short but built out of steel and raw power. He loved getting fucked by him and couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

 

One day he needed to go off suppressants and take a vacation out here, share his first heat with his mate.

 

“Hell,” Dan grit out, scrubbing his face over his arm to wipe the sweat from his eyes. “I always forget how fucking big you are.”

 

Mogar growled happily and smirked, eyes trained on the sight of his mate’s ass wrapped around his cock. He dragged his fingers over a pale cheek and loved how firm it was, how it dimpled under his grip. Dan groaned and managed to get up on one elbow, other hand reaching back to grab the warrior’s hip and grinded back hard to make him bottom out. They both gasped when they were pressed as tight as they could be, every inch and flex felt so intimately. There was a swell of knot at the base of Mogar’s cock and he wanted it so bad, but not yet. In the morning when they could laze for hours. His body was too tired now.

 

“Am I tight for you?” Dan tempted, baring down. Mogar choked on a breath and the fine tips of his claws started to dip into his mate’s hip as his control slipped. “Hot and snug for that fat cock?”

 

“Don’t.” Mogar’s voice quivered and he could feel how he throbbed deep inside him.

 

“Am I making you all weak, mate?” Dan teased mercilessly. That word always hit hard with Mogar and he pulled it out whenever he wanted to torment the man with a unique kind of possessive pleasure. Fingers fisted in his hair and his face was shoved into the sheets, straw crunching beneath it. Mogar quickly laid over him, his hair released so his mate could dig his elbows into the nest on either side of him. Dan was about to try and turn the tables, maybe flip him over and ride his cock, but all those thoughts melted into pure heat as Mogar started humping _hard_ . It was that mindless feral fucking Dan craved so much - short, deep ruts and pinning him down. All he could smell was musk and straw and sheer _male_ and he wanted to bottle it up to jerk off to when he went home.

 

“Mine, _mine_ ,” Mogar huffed against his shoulder before he started biting at his throat in a way that made his back arch. “My mate. Mine.”

 

“Yes,” Dan shuddered, letting go of his mate so he could rub his own cock.

 

Mogar rubbed his knot against his wet rim and whined. “Please?”

 

“Not this time,” Dan panted through his teeth.

 

Mogar whined again, pleading.

 

“In the morning. Right now, fuck me up with just your cock.”

 

Mogar started to hiss out a complaint but Dan started to heat up, the buzz of energy under his skin showing his irritation.

 

“Just fucking use me!” Dan barked. He was riding the edge of a great orgasm and he needed _more_. “Do it or I’ll go find someone who will.” He shot a dirty look over his shoulder and he swore he saw red swirling in Mogar’s eyes. “Some other man who will breed your mate like you won’t, who will-”

 

Dan’s words cut out in a shrill cry as Mogar’s hand clamped over his nape to pin him again. He could hear his mate’s snarling as he started to get carelessly fucked. His whole body shook with the violence of it and the little noises in the back of his throat were submissive, weak. He gave himself fully to Mogar and he was rewarded with blinding pleasure.

 

“Good boy,” Dan whimpered under his breath, fingers flexing weakly in the nest.

 

“No one else.” Each word was punctuated with a rough grind. “ _Mine_.”

 

“N-no one else. _Yes_ !” Dan hunched in on himself and let out a keening noise, face going slack as he finally came. He was so glad he’d laid down a second sheet because he was _pouring_ , thick stripes of cum leaving him as his every muscle trembled. He didn’t come like this with anyone other than Mogar, not ever, not even himself.

 

Dan visibly shuddered and Mogar looped an arm around his hips, grunting and dragging his mate into his lap to keep rutting into him with sharp little thrusts. Dan let out the sweetest, defeated little ‘ _hnn, hnn_ ’ noises as the other kept fucking him like he’d asked. He felt like a toy, his hole yielding to the thick cock and it burned in a way he strangely liked. Fingers dragged through his hair in a lazy pet before Mogar bottomed out and barely muffled a roar. Hot seed filled Dan and he could really feel it. It was a fullness that fed into his concealed submissive side and he sighed happily, muttering more about how good Mogar was.

 

In that moment he was pure Omega and he basked in it.

 

Mogar was panting as he slowly fell over, keeping close so when he hit the nest he could spoon up behind Dan. He pet possessively over his side as they both came down from their high. With his knot left unstimulated, Mogar’s cock softened quickly and slipped out with a wet sound. Dan shivered at the feeling but his mate made a little worried noise. Mogar pressed flush up behind him and fit a leg between his, nuzzling his hair and rubbing a hand over his arm. A rumbling started deep in the warrior’s chest.

 

Dan smile at the sweetness of it. His mate thought he was cold. They both knew his kinetic powers made him radiate heat but the concern was touching. It felt good to know that even without knotting him his mate felt protective, cared for him and his needs. All without that controlling wave of Alpha hormones that came with a breeding bitch hanging off his knot. There was no worry about it just being between-the-sheets feelings and it gave him a sense of calm.

 

“I’m okay,” Dan breathed, still smiling. He felt a thousand times more relaxed and liquid than he had since his last visit.

 

Night had settled in the forest. This was their second round in just a few hours and the desperation never seemed to fade, not in a night and not in a year. Mogar inhaled the scent of his hair and made a tiny noise, catching his attention.

 

“Mogar doesn’t understand why you want to be hurt.”

 

“What?” Dan murmured sleepily, confusing rousing him from his near-nap.

 

“Do not want to hurt mate,” he grumbled. “You want Mogar to hurt you. Rut hard. Sometimes...mate bleeds.” He tightened his grip on Dan. “Pains Mogar to see this.”

 

Dan wiggled loose and turned over, catching his lips in a kiss. Mogar rolled the other onto his back and Dan thought he was going to get climbed on but his mate just ever-so-sweetly laid his head on his chest. Arms made of solid muscle wrapped around him and a cheek was rubbed against his collar. Dan pet through wild curls and closed his eyes, breathing out slowly. “I don’t always goad you into being rough with me. You like it too.”

 

“Mate,” Mogar gruffed.

 

“Sometimes I just like a bit of pain with my pleasure. That’s not too much to ask, hm?” Dan tried to make light but his heart felt heavy. “You know you can say no if I push it, if I make you uncomfortable?”

 

Mogar hid his face against him. “Love.”

 

Dan startled, heart skipping a beat. “Mogar?”

 

“Mate,” Mogar repeated, word strained like it meant so much more than he could say.

 

“Get a blanket and some water, you stupid teddy bear.” Mogar raised his head and felt some ease when he saw Dan smiling at him all sweet and soft, vulnerable like his mate rarely is. He reluctantly pried off of Dan and fetched the canteen and a throw blanket.

 

They resettled into the nest more comfortably now with water beside them. Mogar laid half on his mate’s chest and they pulled the blanket up mostly to keep the random little critters from crawling on them. Dan rested his chin in Mogar’s curls and the sound his mate made was nothing short of a purr. There were crickets chirping outside, another cool breeze picking up and carrying the rustle of squirrels. They were out in the middle of nowhere, not another soul for at least five miles. It was peaceful.

 

Both of them feeling truly safe in the treehouse, they fell asleep.

 

o0o

 

Dan packed his few belongings up the next evening. His mate walked him back to the path but at one point dug his heels into the dirt. Mogar grabbed the other’s jacket sleeve and refused to let go.

 

“Mogar worries,” the warrior admitted, tugging the material to keep Dan’s attention. “Mate move here, live here.”

 

Dan laid his hand over the other’s. “Mogar, I can’t. I’m doing stuff in the city right now. I’ve got a life out there too.”

 

“Life here with Mogar,” he insisted.

 

Dan dragged his reluctant mate into a hug and nosed at his cheek until he could tip him into a sweet kiss. Mogar hummed and softened up a little, whining quietly when the kiss broke. “Yes, I have a life here with you. Every weekend from now on, okay? Solid promise.” Their noses brushed. “You’re not the only one pining. I want you to come live with me.” Mogar’s mouth opened and he could almost taste the oncoming protest. “But I know you belong out here in the wild. You wouldn’t be happy cooped up in an apartment.” He kissed Mogar again and wiped the sour look off his face. “One day we’ll travel, okay?”

 

Mogar’s nose scrunched up. “Mate talks big talk.”

 

Dan laughed and the sound made the warrior’s lips twitched in a smile. “We will! I’m working on making a lot of money. I think in the next two years I’ll have enough money where we can do whatever we want. We’ll visit bigger forests all across the world. We can see everything.”

 

Mogar’s eyes fell to the grass. “Mother can’t be alone.”

 

Dan lifted his mate’s chin and ran a thumb over a painted cheek. He knew how much Mogar cared for his ‘mother’ and how close they were, the bond between them. He’d met Mother several times and she was a sweet animal with something special about her. The two of them couldn’t be parted for long and her milk was supernatural in its properties. Mogar was his mate, and Dan was learning what that word meant. He would protect Mother with his life, just like Mogar would. “Mother can come, Mogar. You think I’d part you from her?”

 

Mogar brightened so much it was almost a visible radiance. Dan laughed happily as he was swept up into a hug and squeezed tight, twirled around so easily. He was a little taller than Mogar and it struck him funny how effortlessly his mate could get him off his feet. He was spun back down and kissed firmly, chapped lips claiming his own with certainty.

 

“Mogar has chosen best mate,” Mogar announced proudly. “Mogar is lucky.”

 

Dan grinned as he was easily pushed up against the nearest tree and caught in another kiss. Their hands roamed as they mapped each other, exploring familiar curves and soaking up the last moments of skin-to-skin contact until next week.

 

“Mate,” Mogar mumbled against his lips.

 

“Mate,” Dan echoed, fingers sliding over the warrior’s nape and squeezing. “Mine.”

 

Mogar’s cheeks flushed and freckles disappeared. “Yours…”

 

“Good boy.”

 

o0o0o0o

 

Dan’s patience finally wore out with the goons that had been showing up at every heist. The straw that broke the proverbial back was the bullet hole in his calf and the two bags of cash he had to leave behind to corner the men in an alley. He took four of them down with kinetic blasts that fried out their knees - he didn’t kill, but he sure as hell crippled them enough to keep them on the ground moaning in pain.

 

The last and biggest guy he kept on his feet long enough to take him down with his staff. Dan whacked him in the ribs and took him down, whipping him on his back and squatting over him with a fist full of crackling energy.

 

“Stop fucking following me, stay away from my heists!” Dan barked in the man’s face. “I don’t want to see your bloody ugly mug again, you hear me?”

 

The man just grinned at him and he knew something was wrong. Dan looked him over and spotted a strange button in the collar of the goon’s jacket. He leaned down more and squinted curiously, seeing the sheen there. “Is that a camera? Who’s watching this? How long have you been recording?”

 

Dan’s hand charged with darkening purple sparks as the man merely laughed in his face. “What’s so damn funny?”

 

“Idiot,” the man coughed out, ribs heavily bruised and showing. “He’s always watching.”

 

“Who?”

 

“He could hurt me in a million more ways than you ever could, kid.”

 

Dan’s fingers flexed and a few sparks hissed as they hit the criminal’s skin. “Want to find out?”

 

o0o0o0o

 

Dan knew he was a narcissist who thought the worse of things but after the encounter with the nameless goon he became swamped with paranoia. He got nothing out of the goon no matter how hard he hit him so he let him go. Over the next two days the paranoia mounted until he snapped.

 

Dan stocked his apartment with food and weapons before changing the locks. He all but barred the door shut and refused to leave for the rest of the week. No heists, no shopping, no meetings with contacts, _nothing_ . He kept the blinds closed and a knife on him, guns stashed strategically throughout the house - even by the shower. He became obsessed with who could be watching him, _recording_ him. Once he made sure his laptop was running secure private programs he started going through lists of potential hitman and big threats in the city. He poured over name after name but nothing stood out.

 

He paced his living room and wracked his brain. He was getting a stress headache and had been nervous eating to try and cope with the strain he was putting his body through. It was getting harder to sleep more than two hours at a time, every noise jolting him awake with a surge of kinetic energy that had scorched his headboard in several places.

 

Dan rubbed his stomach. Four bowls of cereal in an hour felt like lead in his belly. He’d been stomping around so long his mouth was dry and thirst hit him out of nowhere. He took a few moments to calm himself down before he walked over to the fridge. He rooted around in there and snatched out a carton of orange juice. The stuff never touched a glass (mostly because he only owned one or two and hated dishes). True to form, he twisted off the cap and started to chug. It stung a little at first and then it went smooth and sweet, quenching the ache in his belly.

 

He slugged it down but his mind was re-racing. He couldn’t stop wondering about who the hell was watching him. He considered hiding out with Mogar for a while but putting his wild warrior in danger made his heart hurt. He should get out of the city, regroup, contact more of his network to put feelers out.

 

Dan lowered the carton and wiped his wet mouth. He cringed at the irony aftertaste. It was an out-of-place taste that usually only lingered in really cheap juice. He turned the carton over and looked for the date to see if it was off. In the middle of the zero in the date stamp was a small dot. He started to write it off as print but his gut made him double check. It was miniscule.

 

The tiniest puncture mark.

 

“Ah bleeding hell.”

 

Dan didn’t have time to shove a finger down his throat before he was smacked with a wave of dizziness. It was a potent wave of exhaustion and shadow and he crumble under it.

 

He felt the crack of his knees hitting the tile and then nothing.

 

o0o0o0o

 

Mogar waited for his mate’s return with baited breath. One weekend went by, a week, then two weeks. His worry mounted quickly and by the start of the third weekend with no sign of his mate he decided to take action. Dan was his own person, he’d chosen a strong willed and independent mate. He’d gone missing for one weekend before, and twice he’d missed two weekends but always with some kind of warning ahead of time. Dan often got agitated when he got too overprotective but nearly three weeks was too much patience to ask of him.

 

He prowled the forest in search of even a hint of his mate’s scent. Dan smelled almost like gunpowder, fizzly in a way that tickled his nose and reminded him of ozone before heavy storms. It was a unique smell and he couldn’t find it anywhere to track. Not even a trace on the footpath where Dan could have quickly stashed some kind of message. He even waited around the park camping area, staying hidden and watching people for two days. There were many metal cage transportations but none that he knew his mate owned.

 

The worry grew deeper, and more desperate.

 

o0o

 

Mogar was perched high on the tallest, thickest tree he could find that overlooked the city. It stretched wide and far as if trying to intimidate him. With every breath, Mogar could feel the heaviness of loss in his chest. He couldn’t wait any longer, to hesitate could mean death for his mate. He had to go looking for Dan. He couldn’t leave his mate alone in the world. Disappearing like this for so long...something must have happened.

 

He knew Dan wasn’t exactly considered a _good_ person in human society. He knew his mate did things, bad things, but he didn’t care. The laws and justice system of Men meant nothing to him. Dan was his, and he would not let harm come to him. He would have to find his mate’s home and track his scent from there. It was his best chance.

 

Mogar would need to move fast. He’d wasted enough time already. _I swear I’ll find you. No one will take you from me._

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> reviews keep me going <333  
> (just tell me you liked the dicking that's all I need, one headpat)

**Author's Note:**

> I want to thank my bois for outlining this with me over a year ago. I hope this lives up to what we all hoped it would be. Comments are always appreciated and devoured hungrily.


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